“Putin’s masseur” fled Russia. He is said to have known many secrets from the Ukraine war. One of his sons is now dead.
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the essentials in brief
- “Putin’s masseur” Konstantin Goloshchapov is considered a close confidant of the Kremlin boss.
- It is now known that the Russian oligarch fled the country in June.
- Four days after his escape, one of his sons died.
Konstantin Goloshchapov is considered a close confidante of Vladimir Putin and is known as “Putin’s masseur”. The 67-year-old oligarch has been in the closest circle of the Russian government for decades. In St. Petersburg he is considered one of the most influential people and also oversees the Russian Orthodox Church.
That all changed with the Ukraine war. In June he fled in his son’s car across the Russian border to Belarus. According to reports in the Russian media, he had previously received a tip that his business should be reviewed because of allegations of embezzlement.
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The case of the Russian oligarch is only now being mentioned in the Russian media. They published a photo purporting to show Goloshchapov crossing the border. He makes a “rude gesture” into the camera.
Mysterious: Four days after his escape, one of his sons died and an investigation into his holdings – including shares in St. Petersburg water and electricity companies Vodokanal and Lenergo – was launched.
According to “Rotonda”, nothing is known about the death of the son. The funeral also did not take place in public, as reported by the Russian online platform “The Insider”.
“Strong male friendship” on the judo mat
The explosive thing about the case: It is assumed that Goloshchapov knows many of Vladimir Putin’s secrets. A former Western diplomat from Moscow told the Daily Mail: “He knows many of Putin’s secrets and was a key figure in Putin’s circles for years.”
The two Russians met well before the Ukraine war. Even before Putin’s election as president several decades ago. Goloshchapov, like Putin, was active in martial arts. It is said that a “strong male friendship” developed on the judo mat.
And the nickname “Putin’s masseur”? The oligarch received it because he is said to have successfully treated the Kremlin boss with a special massage after an acute back injury.
Between 1998 and 2005, Goloshchapov is said to have flown back and forth between St. Petersburg and Moscow around 338 times. He is said to have regularly massaged the back not only of Putin, but also of other high-ranking officials. Business in the Kremlin area is said to have made him rich.
One can only speculate where Goloshchapov is while the Ukraine war is raging. The 67-year-old holds both Greek and Croatian passports and owns several properties in Croatia, Italy and Finland.
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