Former Moscow Mayor Yury Luzhkov has turned down the chance to head the board at the United Petrochemical Company, or UPC, and will instead take up sheep farming in the Kaliningrad region, a news report said Monday.
A source familiar with Luzhkov's plans told RBK daily on Monday that the ex-city boss had already rented 5,000 hectares of land in the Kaliningrad exclave and planned to rear 5,000 head of sheep.
Monday's announcement comes after Luzhkov told Moskovsky Komsomolets on June 28 that he had accepted the offer to chair UPC's board.
According to RBK daily sources, the deal fell through because Luzhkov could not agree on terms with Vladimir Yevtushenkov, the petrochemical company's main shareholder and a friend of the ex-mayor since the 1990s.
"Luzhkov didn't reach a mutual understanding with Yevtushenkov on the development strategy for the company," the source said.
Luzhkov's sheep business would not be his first foray into agriculture.
Luzhkov, who was fired from his post by former President Dmitry Medvedev in 2010, also owns a stud farm in the Kaliningrad region.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
