The Massandra Vineyard in Crimea is being sold off by Russia
The famous Massandra winery in the Crimea is being sold off by the Russian authorities in the framework of the privatization of occupied lands on the Peninsula, Shipilov.com reported.
Recently, a company from Moscow, Elias, purchased 36 hectares (89 acres) of the former Massandra vineyard near Gurzuf.
Only three companies, Elias, Nizhnevolzhskstroyservise, and MKL plus were admitted to the auction, which is a formal part of the privatization process.
Little is known about the owner of Elias, as the company was registered to an individual who, by all indications, is merely a nominal owner. However, all companies that took part in the auction were registered subsidiaries of Lukoil, Russia’s second largest oil company, leading many to believe that the vineyard was in fact purchases by the President of Lukoil, Vagit Alekperov.
The internationally recognized Ukrainian territory of Crimea was annexed by the Russian Federation in March of 2014 in the wake of the Ukrainian revolution. The Kremlin has faced international condemnation for its annexation of the Peninsula, leading many western countries to impose economic sanctions against Russia. In the United Nations, only Afghanistan, North Korea, Cuba, Nicaragua, Venezuela, and Syria recognize Crimea as a legitimate federal subject of Russia.