The video message of Alisher Usmanov to Alexei Navalny, recorded by the billionaire aboard his yacht, again attracted attention to these favorite toys of the oligarchs. It is estimated that in the world there are about 100 thousand people who can afford to buy mega yachts. Of these, 5-7% have already acquired their own ships. Among the elite, who "grabbed God for a beard," there are Russians.

In the opinion of the majority of citizens, not only those who are accustomed to counting money before the salary, but also the representatives of the secured middle class, own yacht is a continuous loss. First, the vessel needs to be serviced, rented for its parking place in the marina, pay salaries to the crew, pay taxes ... Depending on the size of the boat, the amount of expenses can be up to 20-60 million dollars a year. The amount is considerable even for billionaires, who are accustomed to count money. What motivates them to buy yachts? Is it only love for sea voyages and luxurious rest?

In 2016, the Financial Times wrote: "Out of Russia" are not words that inspire confidence and provide a warm welcome, for Russian investors, some doors have already closed or will close later. " Indeed, in almost 30 years of "new" Russia, the whole world has made a firm view of how the Russian oligarchs "earned" their fortunes ...

Now imagine the situation when a yacht of a Russian oligarch stands in a marina, and yachts of foreign billionaires, presidents, a hereditary European nobility, ie people on whom the world economy and politics depend, are moored to it. Thus, the yacht becomes a pass to the club of the elite, where you can make the right connections, find a business partner, and at the same time show yourself as a decent person with whom you can deal.

And it's worth a lot - much more than the cost of a yacht. Here, in particular, why Russian oligarchs buy the most expensive palaces abroad, collect Faberge eggs and build the longest yachts. Thus, they give a signal about their consistency, culture, security and loyalty. It remains an important opportunity to hold events hidden from the public. A meeting with a politician or a rendezvous with beauties will all be the secret of the Seven Seas, unless, of course, the guests themselves bring everything to Instagram with geotagging. Well, the bonus is the possibility of hidden from prying eyes meetings with influential people, as well as the pleasure of the sea, fresh wind, sunsets and dawns. "Our Version" analyzed data on the mega-yachts owned by Russian billionaires, collected by Forbes magazine.

Eclipse (Eclipse).
Owner - Roman Abramovich

The length of the yacht is 164 meters, it has 9 decks and tops the rating of super yachts. The approximate price of the vessel is from 800 million to 1.2 billion dollars. In addition to all the standard "miracles" on Eclipse there is an anti-missile system, bullet-proof glasses and a small submarine. The annual maintenance of the yacht costs about 50 million dollars. An interesting detail: originally the length of Eclipse was to be 162.46 meters, but after the vice-president of the UAE, Sheikh Mohammed ibn Rashid al-Maktoum decided to build a longer yacht, Roman Abramovich ordered to extend the Eclipse by 1.5 meters.

Dilbar.
Owner - Alisher Usmanov

The cost of the yacht - 600 million dollars, speed - 22.5 knots (42 kilometers per hour), length - 156 meters. Yacht Dilbar received the prestigious WorldYachtsTrophies award in Cannes. The yacht occupies the 1st place in the world in terms of capacity and the 4th in length. The yacht is designed for 40 guests, its crew is 80 people. The parking is in Barcelona, the berth rent is 15-20 million euros per year. The area of this most spacious private yacht in the world is 3800 square meters.

According to statistics, today in Russia there are 96 dollar billionaires, while in spite of the crisis, their number increases.

Ocean Victory.
Owner - Victor Rashnikov

The cost of the yacht of the chairman of the board of directors of Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works (MMK) Victor Rashnikov is 600 million dollars. The Ocean Victory has a length of 140 meters and seven decks. It took five years to build the ship. The story of Victor Rashnikov's success is simple. Being deputy director of the plant, Rashnikov bought MMK shares.

Becoming the main shareholder, he took the post of general director of MMK, then his trip to the Duma took place, after which he gained political weight, according to rumors, he could even put up his "own" governor. Striking career: from the locksmith to the general director, the owner of the palace in France and the giant yacht. Alas, the inhabitants of Magnitogorsk, where the plant is located, it is difficult even to dream of such luxury. Due to the abundance of harmful emissions into the atmosphere, Magnitogorsk is among the top ten cities in Russia with the worst ecology. The usual diagnoses in local hospitals are oncological diseases, chronic bronchitis and reproductive disorders. The average life expectancy for men is 57.5, for women it is about 71 years. In general, to whom is a long yacht, and to whom is a short life.

Quantum Blue.
Owner - Sergey Galitsky

The length of the yacht is 104 meters. Technical specifications are classified. Galitsky is an example of a man who "made himself and his business himself." Thanks to his instinct and business acumen, he created and develops a network of food stores - grocery discounters "Magnet". Now Halytsky has 39% of the shares of this network, which bypasses the number of shops of the competitor Pyaterochka, behind which stands Alfa Group. In 2015, Magnit entered the 100 most innovative companies in the world, according to Forbes, - 23rd place. Headquarters of "Magnit" - Krasnodar.

Madam GU.
Probable owner - Andrey Skoch

The length of the yacht is 99 meters, the cost is 150 million dollars. The yacht can accommodate 12 guests and 36 crew members. Port of registry Madam Gu - Monaco. Andrey Skoch has been a member of the State Duma since 1999. Through his father, to whom the whole business was rewritten, he participates in USM Holdings company Alisher Usmanov, and also owns a stake in Vnukovo airport. The state of Skoc for the period of his stay in the State Duma has increased several times. Periodically in the media, there are speculations about the ties between Skoc and "reputable" businessmen.

Ralladium.
Owner - Mikhail Prokhorov

The length of the yacht is 96 meters, the cost is 250 million dollars. The construction of the yacht used composite alloys, which allowed it to give an unusual look. In 2010, Palladium received the award for the best design among yachts.

The basis of the state of Mikhail Prokhorov - acquired by credit money at the pledge auctions of the enterprise, the value of which then increased 50-60 times. The largest gold deposit of Sukhoi Log was joined by "working with documents," and the part apparently appeared to be in Prohorov's own offshore, after which there was a scandal and parting with Prokhorov, his longtime business partner, Vladimir Potanin, who accused the oligarch's colleague of non-compliance with the agreements . Prokhorov is the author of ideas about tightening the Labor Code and increasing the duration of the work week.

Nirvana.
Probable owner - Vladimir Potanin

The length of the yacht is 88 meters, the cost is 300 million dollars. At an average speed of 14 knots Nirvana is able to pass more than 5 thousand nautical miles without refueling. Nirvana has only six cabins, while the owner's cabin occupies more than half of the upper deck. Also on board there is a terrarium with exotic reptiles.

Vladimir Potanin created the foreign economic structure of HC Interros, sold natural resources, gave birth to the idea of ​​collateral auctions, and through them, for a small loan, got the oil company Sidanko, Novorossiysk Shipping Company and Norilsk Nickel. Vladimir Potanin invariably enjoys the support of high-level officials and special services. Not so long ago the billionaire promised to direct all his fortune to charity. The yacht was at one time offered for sale.

Sapphire.
Supposed Owner - Filaret Galchev

The length of the yacht is 73 meters. On board there are 6 cabins for 12 guests, and there is also a zone for a team of 16 people. The maximum speed of the "boat" is 17.5 knots (about 33 kilometers per hour). The range of navigation without refueling is 5 thousand miles.

The ship owner is the chairman of the board of directors of Eurocement Group, Filaret Galchev, whose fortune is estimated at 1.4 billion dollars. At one time, Galchev consolidated 19 factories requiring reconstruction, and raised the price of cement, which attracted competitors with a cheaper product to the market. This complicated the situation on the market, and the reconstruction did not work. Now the position of the company is very worrying - only the rapid construction can save Gal'chev's empire.

P.S. Each of the presented yachts is a kind of technical masterpiece. Allow themselves to buy such luxury can only billionaires. According to statistics, today in Russia there are 96 dollar billionaires, while despite the crisis, their number increases year by year. However, other statistics are more revealing: in the Russian Federation, 89% of the total wealth is controlled by 10% of households. This is the highest concentration of wealth in the world. At one pole - a flashy luxury, on the other - life from salary to salary, from pension to pension, when the money is enough only for utilities and meager food. All this testifies to the extremely unstable situation in the society, creating a threat of its collapse.

BTW

Some Russian oligarchs are so fond of yachting that they have several yachts (for example, Roman Abramovich had five yachts, now it seems like there was only one). When choosing a country of registration, many aspects are important: cost, taxes, the possibility of protecting the property by the country of registration, confidentiality, legal requirements, etc. Russian megayacht masters choose, as a rule, offshore: Britain, British Virgin Islands, Panama.

The most detailed directory of companies in the state of Florida on http://florida.all-usa.org/.

Each flag has its own peculiarities: for example, Britain requires a captain only with a British diploma, the landlord must be only a citizen of Britain; When registering in the Virgin Islands, a multi-year plan for the development of the company owning a mega yacht, etc. should be provided. Very important for megayachts and the place of permanent mooring. Usually, mega yachts are moored in Italy, Spain, France, Monaco, in Florida, in Miami and the UAE. The cost of mooring a yacht can vary from 500 to 3 thousand euros at the usual time and up to 12 thousand euros per day during the peak season. From May to October, the rich "walk" along the classic route - from Saint-Tropez to Cannes, Antibes, Monaco, visit Corsica, Sardinia, Capri, and sometimes Sicily. In winter, the rich move to the Caribbean - here the list of destinations includes Bermuda, the Bahamas, the island of St. Martin and Miami.