Super-rich Russians plan big party on North Pole
Rock band Leningrad will perform and popular DJs, stand-up comedians and fitness celebrities will entertain. A group of well-connected Russians will on August 21 board the French luxury yacht Le Commandant Charcot in the Norwegian Arctic port of Longyearbyen and head into the sea ice.
Judging from information from Neverend, a Moscow-based travel and adventure company, the expedition cruise ship will be full of Russian hotshots.
It will set out from Longyearbyen at Svalbard on August 21 and sail all the way to the geographic North Pole.
Among the travelers are billionaires, showbiz celebs and TV personalities. Several of them are known for shady connections and dubious corporate interests.
"From 21 August to 5 September, you will enjoy a carefully planned programme combining comfort, personal development and immersion in the nature of the North Pole," the Russian travel company advertises.
The minimum price for a ticket is $70,560.
Dmitry Portnyagin is believed to be among the cruise organisers. The businessman has made billions on his business projects and is also a blogger and social media influencer with more that 1,4 million followers on Youtube and a similar number on Instagram.
Portnyagin has previously organised several other exclusive expeditions. He was on the North Pole also in 2022, but then onboard Russian nuclear powered icebreaker 50-let Pobedy.
Dmitry Portnyagin is accompanied by intrigues and scandals. He is also believed to shortly have been on the frontline in occupied Ukraine.
Among the people on the cruise guest list is Aleksei Frolov, the billionaire bankier with ties to Gazprom and other Russian energy companies.
Nikolai Vasilenko used to be one of the biggest producers of alcohol in Russia, but is today first of all known as influencer and social media personality.
Ksenia Borodina is a TV celebrity known from a number of talkshows and reality shows. She is a strong supporter of Vladimir Putin and in 2018 reportedly joined the so-called Team Putin movement. On a number of occasions, she has expressed support for the war against Ukraine and reportedly even herself financed acquisition of ammunition for mobilized Russian troops.
Main entertainers on board will be Sergei Shnurov and his legendary Leningrad rock group. Shnurov is surrounded by scandals, some of them with a serious political backdrop. Reportedly, the musician was cooperating with Yevgeny Prigozhin and his Wagner Group.
On board will also be stand-up comedian Yevgeny Chebatkov, DJ Philchansky and fitness celebrity Anna Kanyuk.
The wealthy Russians will enjoy extraordinary French luxury far away from the increasingly militarized and repressive Moscow. The icebreaking of the Le Commandant Charcot will sound a bit like gunfire, but the passengers might not think much about the bombings and killings in Ukraine.
A high level of loyalty towards the Putin regime notwithstanding, none of the passengers are believed to be on international sanctions lists. The cruise starts in the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard, which is not included in the Schengen area.
The Le Commandant Charcot is the new vessel built for cruise ship operator Ponant. It is classified as icebreaker and can make independent voyages to the North Pole.
The ship offers luxury services that never before have been provided in the farthest reaches of the northern hemisphere. Each of the ship’s common areas are designed to convey French-style discreet luxury and arouse wonder and amazement, the company says.
The cruise is fully booked, the company informs on its website.
In a statement provided to the Barents Observer, a representative of Ponant emphasises that all passengers are being carefully checked.
"We can assure you that, as always, we remain highly vigilant. Whenever a country identified as sensitive by the relevant authorities is involved — whether as a contractual party, intermediary, or financial institution — we strictly apply our compliance procedures. These are carried out in line with the protocol recommended by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) France. In this instance, and as an added precaution, we have decided to go further and conduct a second review of each passenger’s situation closer to the embarkation date. Each passenger will also be checked to ensure they are not on the list of individuals subject to a travel ban in Europe."
