The biblical saying "Do not collect treasures on the earth" in our time is somehow not very popular, or rather, completely not popular. And an infinite number of young and not very young, but enterprising people rush to storm the fortresses under the names "power", "wealth", "gold", "beautiful life". In a frantic race for all these treasures, there is no time to stop and think: "What is all this for?" And still, a stop sooner or later takes place, but this happens, as a rule, either in a hospital, or in prison, or in forced emigration - like in Nevzlin …
Chapter One - Soviet
The biography of Leonid Borisovich Nevzlin began regularly, like many boys and girls born in the USSR. Leonid was born on September 21, 1959 in a family of Soviet intellectuals: his mother, Irina Markovna, taught Russian at school, and her father, Boris Iosifovich, worked as an engineer in petrochemical plants.
The boy studied at the same Moscow school where his mother worked, and therefore he was not allowed any liberties: study - first of all. But at some point, apparently, the control was not up to the mark, and among the slender row of fives the four suddenly appeared.
And parents for educational purposes immediately transferred their son to another school, where mother's support was no longer there, but the parental requirement for excellent schooling remained unchanged. And Leonid Nevzlin met his parental expectations: the school was finished with a gold medal.
The Fifth Count of the Soviet Passport
Was in the "hammer and sickle" of the Soviet passport the fifth column, and it was called - nationality. And this item was a "stumbling block" for many young people who wished to continue their education in higher education. Particularly carefully read this column in the selection committee of high-level universities: MGIMO, Moscow State University and the like.
So, Leonid Nevzlin had a “Jew” in the fifth column, and therefore in 1976 he submitted documents to the Gubkin Moscow Institute of Petrochemical and Gas Industry (MINHiGP), which was also called “kerosene”. Here one could say that he continued the work of his father, since he entered the Faculty of Automation and Computer Engineering.
But most likely, in the “kerosene” there was, as they would say now, a tolerant leadership that looked through the fingers at the notorious fifth column. By the way, the popularity of this educational institution among applicants with a problem fifth column is also evidenced by the fact that both Gusinsky and Abramovich graduated from the Moscow Institute of Economics and Politics at different times.
So, having received a red diploma and the profession of "systems engineer", Leonid opened the door to real life.
Chapter Two: Life
The Soviet reality of a university graduate was as follows: after defending his diploma, he received a referral to work on distribution, where he was obliged to repay debt to his homeland for 3 years for the money spent on his training. Leonid had to work in Zarubezhgeologiya as a programmer for 120 rubles: such were the salaries at the USSR Ministry of Geology. This average Soviet reality of Nevzlin will last from 1981 to 1987 - until perestroika.
Student marriage
I must say that at the time of graduation, the wife of Leonid Nevzlin was Anna Efimovna Nevzlin. It was a profitable party, on which parents insisted in due time. However, as you know, love does not bloom in captivity. Especially if it was not originally there.
So, despite the birth of the daughter of Irina in 1978, the family of Leonid Borisovich Nevzlin broke up almost immediately after graduation.
Anna Nevzlina stayed with her daughter in a two-room apartment on Balaklava Avenue, working as an employee of the Wholesale Food Systems CJSC. And the subsequent financial successes of the ex-husband did not affect the welfare of the first wife.
Family portrait in the interior
The memoirs of Anna Efimovna Nevzlina about married life only with a stretch can be called pleasant in all respects: the husband intelligently spoke out about the woman’s role in the life of a man, as well as the functional futility of married life if a man reaches high government posts.
Anna Efimovna still cites many of the ex-spouse’s statements: apparently they very firmly cut into her memory, thanks to informative conversations at an evening family dinner.
Thus, despite a short joint marriage, the bitterness of this union is still felt.
So, she was called Tatyana
If we take into account that at the time of graduation, Nevzlin was about 23 years old or a little more, then we can assume that a young man of this age, being married but not being in love, was open to experience in this, we can say, Terra incognita. And fate gave him the opportunity to get such an experience.
She was called Tatyana, and her last name was more than famous, but in literary circles and thanks to A.S. Pushkin - Arbenin. She was older than Nevzlin, she had a son from her first marriage, she left her husband for Leonid, and her appearance in the life of a young programmer was not encouraging for his parents.
But this time, Leonid Borisovich Nevzlin decided to defend his personal life and responded to the dictates of his parents with a demarche: he retired to a dacha near Moscow, where he began to live with Tatyana and her son Alexei. Living in the country was full of romance: convenience in the yard, water in the column. It was in these romantic conditions that their daughter Marina was born. It was 1983, the country was on the verge of great changes, but stagnation nonetheless took place. So the young family existed on completely Soviet incomes, like everyone else …
The second wife of Leonid Borisovich Nevzlin was never a public person. Tatiana preferred to take care of children and live her own life, which cannot be said about Nevzlin's priorities. In his system of values, the family never stood in the first place.
Boy grew up
Looking ahead, we can say that decent official photographs with his wife and children were in sharp contrast with the collections of photos of Leonid Nevzlin, in which he presented as an exquisite gourmet - a connoisseur of female beauty of the age of “nymphoids”.
But it will be later, when the "golden rain" will literally fall upon Nevzlin and other "new Russians", and everything that was previously considered a pipe dream will be at arm's length.
By then, the scale of his personality will manifest itself in all its diversity. But you won’t refuse sophisticated sophistication: he was pleased to introduce his next mistress to his wife and watch the “exquisite pleasure” that this meeting brought to both. But for some reason, this marriage lasted long enough.
Shortly before the break with Nevzlin, Tatyana Arbenina will convert to Orthodoxy. And this was not a PR show, which for her, in principle, was unacceptable. This was a deliberate step, based on fear for children: Tatyana was afraid that what Nevzlin was doing would affect the fate of her daughter and son. She insisted that her husband also accept Orthodoxy, but he was categorically against it.
In his opinion, this woman does not know what she is asking for: at that time he was the head of the Russian Jewish Congress. He successfully managed to turn these circumstances of family life into a public relations campaign that worked for his image as a “sufferer”, who was forced to live with his wife, who had been hit by religion.
So, insurmountable ideological differences arose in the family and nothing could keep her afloat.
Therefore, when Leonid Nevzlin finally leaves his homeland for the sake of his historical homeland, he will cut off all family ties, leaving both his former wives and both daughters from two marriages, and, of course, Alexey’s stepson in Russia. Apparently, to raise the country's economy.
By the way, as a bonus for the years spent with him, the second wife and children of Nevzlin Leonid Borisovich will receive a three-room apartment on Sivtsev Vrazhek, where they will all live for some time.
Two Tatyana
Nevzlin did not leave Tatyana Arbenina "nowhere." He had a habit of getting married. However, apparently, so as not to destroy the established way of life, he decided to combine legal marriage again with Tatyana, but Cheshinskaya.
She was also married, but was ready to terminate the annoying alliance for the sake of billionaire Nevzlin. His motivation was more pragmatic: firstly, she did not have fanaticism about Orthodoxy; secondly, she was also with the same fifth column in the passport; thirdly, this union would greatly strengthen the authority of the head of the Russian Jewish Congress in his historic homeland in Israel; and only fourth, there were still feelings.
Gray in the beard …
So, she was also called Tatyana, but was 8 years younger than Leonid Nevzlin. At the time of the meeting, the beautiful Tatyana studied at MGIMO. She became Nevzlin’s assistant and quickly picked up the “key” to him, although it was probably not difficult, because the key was not needed: the former programmer was already captive to the charm of the new Tatyana.
So, there was a big bright feeling … There was a small obstacle in the form of an ex-husband who bothered Tatyana with his "showdowns", but Leonid quickly resolved this issue. Indeed, in 2003, Cheshinskaya moved with Nevzlin to Israel, and the intentions were most serious, but something went wrong.
According to Nevzlin, one of the reasons for the destruction of their relationship was that the eldest daughter Irina lived with him, and the youngest was in a transitional age, and he did not want to injure Marina. Well, by the way, here came the Orthodox fanaticism of Tatyana’s wife, which could be referenced: he couldn’t leave his incompetent wife …
But the main reason for breaking up with Cheshinskaya was her inability to “burn bridges” behind her: she continued to worry about her children, remembered her husband. This life in “two dimensions” somehow began to bore Leonid Borisovich, and he abandoned the idea of marriage with the new Tatyana.
Let's face it: for a man who believes that a woman is absolute “nothing”, too emotionally complex relationships are really tiring: his brain is used to working on other issues.
God loves trinity
It is said that the first wife is from God, the second from people, and the third from the devil. But in the biography of Leonid Borisovich Nevzlin, she still appeared - the one who is the third wife. Fate overtook him in Israel in the person of Olesya Petrovna Kantor.
In this photo Leonid Nevzlin and wife Olesya Kantor together are happy and prosperous.
As it turned out, in Chelyabinsk, not only men are harsh, but also women - not a blunder. Olesya Kantor 35 years old, she is a business woman, revolved in a circle of serious entrepreneurs. Her husband, Oleg Kantor, died in 1995. He headed the Yugorsky bank.
And then the list of amorous victories of a business widow begins: the owner of the Novolipetsk Metallurgical Plant Vladimir Lisin; offspring of the President of Kyrgyzstan Maxim Bakiyev; other men burdened with big money.
Olesya Kantor's area of interest is the diamond business. On this, she earned a modest fortune of some millions of dollars. Well, yes: I had to step over the feelings of a certain businessman who so unsuccessfully brought her closer to himself. But the diamonds were worth it.
At the time of the appearance in Israel of the co-owner of Yukos, Oles Kantor was just free, but not for long … The fateful meeting took place. They have a lot in common: this is the case when the couple does not look at each other, but in one direction - in the direction of money with which they have mutual love.
Heiress of tradition
The issue of succession is important not only for royal people. For people who think that they are in power because their financial condition is approaching a critical mark with a plus sign, this is also an important issue. In this case, we turn to the study of the relationship of Leonid Borisovich Nevzlin and his children.
Little is known about his youngest daughter Marina. Most likely, she inherited the character of her mother Tatyana Arbenina, and her lifestyle is not public.
As for the eldest daughter, Irina, she often appears at social events with her father or husband Julius Edelstein.
Now he is a politician and public figure in Israel, the speaker of the Knesset. Prior to that, he held ministerial posts in Israel: Minister of Information and Diaspora, Minister of Absorption and Deputy Minister of Absorption. He is 60 years old, that is, he is a year older than Leonid Nevzlin, was born in 1958 in the USSR then the Soviet Union. Currently adheres to traditional Jewish values. The marriage with Irina Nevzlina was concluded in 2016, almost 2 years after the death of Tatyana Edelstein's first wife, from whom he has two children.
Needless to say, kinship for Leonid Borisovich is very useful.
Do you remember how it all began…
It all started with perestroika, in which there was a lot of talk, denunciations of stagnant times and incredible plans, with the obligatory remark "Abroad will help us." Countless funds and funds appeared, which enticed the inexperienced layman with attractive slogans, the banks of reinforced concrete guaranteed 1000% of the profit … It was a crazy and troubled time in the crazy country of “frightened idiots”.
And in this murky water Nevzlin became a "fisher of men." He was born a great combinator with tremendous persuasive power, a dodgy mind, instantly calculating all sorts of options to benefit from everything that caught his eye. It's just that in the USSR his abilities were in a frozen state, and now his time has come!
A programmer was required at the Center for Scientific and Technical Creativity of Youth. Leonid decided to earn some money. A fateful meeting with the Komsomol leader Mikhail Khodorkovsky took place there.
Their interests coincided and friendship arose on the basis of common priorities. Soon, the Menatep Bank arose, and the first money came from the sale of shares. But, as is always the case with banks in our country, only holders of a controlling stake were cut coupons, and ordinary depositors were content with deep moral satisfaction. Things went confidently uphill.
Mikhail Khodorkovsky was the strategist of this project, and Leonid Nevzlin was a tactician who sensed where the wind was blowing and had instant reaction. This was especially brilliantly manifested in the process of negotiations or, so to speak, in building bridges with the right people. So they found each other. And then Prime Minister Ivan Silaev found them and invited them to become advisers to the ministry. That was one side of the business.
The second, reverse side was criminal: there were rumors about friendship with criminal authority Otari Kvantrishvili, and close cooperation with Chechen groups … They probably lie.
Startup from Mordovia
The "zero" years began. There was a need for close merging with the government: it was nevertheless necessary to comply with the rules of the game. And somehow it coincided that from the Republic of Mordovia with the capital in the city of Saransk, Leonid Borisovich was invited to represent the interests of the Mordovian people in the Federation Council. The co-owner of Yukos asked his assistants to show this wonderful republic on a map, and then he got down to work, now as a senator.
His work on the Federation Council was so successful that in February 2002 he took over as deputy chairman of the Federation Council Committee on Foreign Affairs. For his activities in this organization he was noted with a letter.
What else is interesting from the biography of Leonid Nevzlin is his work in ITAR-TASS in 1997-1998. In this organization, he worked as Deputy General Director. The range of issues he oversees: analytics, economics, photo reports, corporatization of the agency.
His track record can be listed for a long time. But it all ended in 2003, when our hero, along with Mikhail Khodorkovsky, was summoned to the Prosecutor General of the Russian Federation. There they were asked to clarify some aspects of the activities of Platon Lebedev, who was also a co-owner of Yukos. The interest in Lebedev’s personality was caused by suspicions of theft of 20% of Apatit shares.
Nevzlin, as already mentioned, had a wonderful sense of smell. And now intuition told him that he was waiting for the historical homeland of Israel. And he left.
Next, of course, was the Russian court, the most humane court in the world, by which Nevzlin would be sentenced to life imprisonment for organizing murders. But this court decision was in absentia, since Leonid Borisovich was not going to return to fulfill the court decision. And her historic homeland Israel, even at the request of the Russian side, was not going to give her new-found son either, since she did not consider his guilt proven.
And Mr. Nevzlin remained in the state of Israel, where, according to him, he is working on a dissertation.
