Year in Review — 2025. The nine most sensational arrests in Nizhny Novgorod Oblast

      The year 2025 turned out to be rich in arrests of prominent figures in Nizhny Novgorod Oblast. Among them were notable officials, the head of an important municipal institution, rectors and staff of major universities. The editorial office of the news agency IA “V gorode N,” in summing up the outgoing year, compiled a selection of the most high-profile detentions.

      Ilya Shtokman

      Photo: Telegram channel of Yuriy Shalabayev

      Former first deputy head of the administration of Nizhny Novgorod Ilya Shtokman was detained in Sochi at the end of September. He was soon brought to Nizhny Novgorod for investigation. Later, law enforcement raided the Vektor concrete plant owned by the politician’s family. Searches were conducted in the former civil servant’s home, and agents opened safes. Inside were stacks of foreign currency and 5,000-ruble notes, as well as poker chips. Shtokman was sent to a pre-trial detention center. His defense petitioned for house arrest, citing the defendant’s health problems, and his wife even showed medical prescriptions. However, the court did not change its decision.

      Recall that Shtokman was appointed deputy mayor in 2020. In September 2022 he voluntarily went to the special military operation, and was later awarded the medal “For Combat Merit.” In August 2025 he was discharged from the army due to worsening health problems. The politician was, by the way, often seen at various civilian social events, including at a casino in Sochi.

      Officially Shtokman left the post of deputy mayor of Nizhny Novgorod in August. According to the investigation, he once received a bribe of 55,000,000 rubles from the head of a construction company in exchange for patronage, the awarding of municipal contracts and lenient oversight of project execution — all within the framework of the regional program “Resettlement of citizens from the dilapidated and emergency housing stock for 2019–2023.” A criminal case was opened under Part 6 of Article 290 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (receiving a bribe by an official in an especially large amount).

      It also emerged that in a multi-apartment building on Alekseevskaya Street the politician allegedly made himself a three-level apartment with a private garden. He fenced the yard area with a concrete fence, planted a “French garden” and built a separate entrance.

      In mid-December media reported that Shtokman’s brother Mikhail, general director of the Vektor plant, had also been detained in the Shtokman case.

      Sergey Egorov

      Photo: Administration of Nizhny Novgorod

      Sergey Egorov, who took the post of deputy mayor immediately after Shtokman, was detained on December 2. At that time city hall representatives said they were actively cooperating with the investigation and providing necessary assistance to law enforcement. The 42-year-old official, like his predecessor, is suspected of receiving a bribe through an intermediary.

      According to the investigation, in February–August 2025 Egorov received money for facilitating the organization of illegal commercial activity in Nizhny Novgorod. Searches were carried out at the politician’s home and workplace. On December 5 the former deputy mayor was placed under house arrest, and two weeks later Egorov officially left his post.

      Andrey Levdikov

      Andrey Levdikov resigned from the post of director of the Main Directorate for the Construction and Repair of the Metro, Bridges and Road Networks (GUMMiD) of his own accord on May 16. Two weeks later he was declared wanted at the federal level. In June he was added to the Interior Ministry database. Searches were then conducted in the apartments of the defendant and his relatives.

      A criminal case was opened under the article on receiving a bribe in an especially large amount (Part 6 of Article 290 of the Criminal Code). According to the investigation, in 2024–2025 Levdikov helped one company win a tender for the restoration and construction of roads. In return the company’s founder paid for repairs in Levdikov’s apartment. The work cost seven million rubles.

      Levdikov was detained on September 1. He asked to be placed under house arrest, arguing that he surrendered to the police voluntarily, acknowledged his guilt and no longer intended to hide from the investigation. But he ended up in a pre-trial detention center. The investigation continues.

      Yuriy Bortnikov

      Photo: press service of the governor and government of Nizhny Novgorod Oblast

      Former acting head of the Administrative Department of the Government of Nizhny Novgorod Oblast Yuriy Bortnikov was arrested on February 21 on charges of embezzlement of another’s property committed using his official position in an especially large amount (Part 4 of Article 160 of the Criminal Code). He headed the department from late June 2023. In August 2024 he left the position and planned to move to Samara.

      The basis for opening a criminal case was the suspicion that in 2023 the former official allegedly organized repairs of an official apartment on Slavyanskaya Street amounting to 5.3 million rubles. The housing was intended for the deputy governor, and the owner of the property is the city administration. The amount spent by contractors was treated by the investigation as damage, determining that Bortnikov illegally directed budget funds to the repair.

      The former official himself insisted that he had not committed wrongdoing, and that in the case of the apartment repair there might have been misuse of regional funds. Bortnikov explained that the regional government had several official apartments which were insufficient for everyone, so most of the housing was requested from the city administration. In his view, officials aimed this way to reduce the financial burden on the Administrative Department and cut regional budget expenses.

      The court placed the former civil servant in custody. His lawyer filed a complaint, insisting that the criminal case had been initiated unlawfully and that Bortnikov should be sent under house arrest. At first the court refused, but in early August it nevertheless changed the preventive measure. However, it did not last long.

      At the end of November Bortnikov was again placed in a pre-trial detention center. The reason was reportedly violations of the conditions of detention. It is alleged that the detainee used telephone communications and left his home. The official himself stated that investigators and operatives were exerting pressure on him, demanding that he give testimony against the former deputy governor and admit guilt in a “nonexistent crime.” In early December the period of Bortnikov’s detention was extended.

      Andrey Zhiltsov

      Photo: Civic Chamber of Nizhny Novgorod Oblast

      The head of the executive committee of the regional branch of the “People’s Front,” Andrey Zhiltsov, was detained on October 14 on suspicion of fraud on an especially large scale. Searches and seizure of documents were conducted in his home and in the offices of public organizations he headed, including the “Nizhny Novgorod Volunteer Service.” At the People’s Front itself, Zhiltsov’s appointment was called a personnel mistake.

      He is accused of embezzling almost 3.5 million rubles from a subsidy allocated from the regional budget for the development of volunteering. The day after his detention the suspect was arrested for two months, although Zhiltsov himself asked to be placed under house arrest. The investigation considered that he could influence witnesses, destroy physical evidence and obstruct the investigation. In early December his stay in the pre-trial detention center was extended by another two months — until February 7, 2026, inclusive.

      Scandals and universities

      The year 2025 was particularly “hot” in terms of arrests for Nizhny Novgorod universities. In the first months four major universities were at the epicenter of scandals — eight staff members of educational institutions ended up in handcuffs, including two former rectors and former vice-rector and director.

      Igor Vorotnikov

      Photo: press service of NGATU

      Doctor of Economics, rector of the Nizhny Novgorod State Agrarian and Technological University named after Florentiev (NGATU) Igor Vorotnikov was detained at his workplace in mid-January.

      According to the investigation, from 2023 to 2025 he unlawfully enrolled foreigners in state-funded places at the university. The foreign nationals, however, did not intend to receive an education or attend classes. To artificially boost performance indicators and receive bonuses, the former rector submitted forged documents to authorities confirming the enrollment of about 30 students, and in return received bonuses. The damage was estimated at at least one million rubles.

      Law enforcement opened a criminal case on abuse of official powers. The day after the arrest Vorotnikov was sent to a pre-trial detention center. He pleaded not guilty. According to him, as rector he exercised general management of the university, and law enforcement still has to find those responsible for the fictitious enrollment of foreign nationals.

      A month and a half later a second criminal case was opened against Vorotnikov — this time he was accused of organizing a channel of illegal migration. During the investigation of the first case it was established that foreign citizens were fictitiously employed in the Nizhny Novgorod region without taking mandatory exams in Russian language, history and basics of Russian legislation.

      Most recently, his detention was extended until January 13 inclusive.

      Alexander Paramonov

      Photo: press service of the Legislative Assembly of Nizhny Novgorod Oblast

      Information about the detention of the director of the Nizhny Novgorod Institute of Management — a branch of RANEPA — Alexander Paramonov and searches at the university first appeared on March 12. At that time the head of the educational institution was a deputy of the United Russia faction in the regional parliament and served on the committees on budget and taxes, on social issues, and on transport and road infrastructure. He had also been awarded the II degree medal of the Order “For Merit to the Fatherland.”

      Paramonov is suspected of taking bribes. According to the investigation, he organized and led a criminal group that included officials from among university employees. They took bribes and, in return, prepared admission documents, gave students passing grades without attendance, and issued diplomas and certificates to those who in fact had not received education.

      Soon after his arrest Paramonov’s membership in the United Russia faction was suspended, and he was removed from the post of head of the RANEPA branch. Initially the former director was remanded in custody, but in September his preventive measure was softened and he was placed under house arrest.

      Sergey Vozhik

      Photo: press service of PIMU

      A scandal erupted at the Privolzhsky Research Medical University (PIMU) when on March 13 two of its employees were detained — first vice-rector Sergey Vozhik and head of procurement Vyacheslav Matveichev. Searches were conducted at the educational institution.

      Vozhik and Matveichev were accused of embezzling budget funds allocated under the national project “Science and Universities.” In 2021 a large sum from the federal budget was allocated to purchase expensive equipment to improve PIMU’s facilities. The suspects organized tender procedures so that affiliated companies would win. As a result of this fraudulent scheme, equipment was purchased at inflated prices, and the defendants allegedly appropriated approximately seven million rubles from the budget. In addition to the two university representatives, the director of an organization specializing in the sale of medical products and a PIMU neurologist, director of the Rehabilitation Institute Sergey Khrulev, were also detained. All four were sent to a pre-trial detention center.

      Zhanna Nikonova

      Photo: press service of NGLU

      Zhanna Nikonova headed the Nizhny Novgorod State Linguistic University named after Dobrolyubov (NGLU) from 2019 to 2024.

      At the end of February operatives detained her in Moscow on suspicion of exceeding official authority (Part 3 of Article 286 of the Criminal Code). According to the investigation, Nikonova allegedly unjustifiably awarded bonuses to subordinates while appropriating part of the money for herself. The head of the Institute of Continuing Education, Yuliya Chicherina, is also involved in the case. The damage caused by the actions of the two university employees exceeded one million rubles. Searches were carried out at NGLU and at the places of residence of the detainees; some of their belongings and documents were seized as part of the investigation.

      In spring another defendant in the case was arrested — NGLU’s vice-rector for science and strategic development Anna Chanchina; she was placed under house arrest. At the end of April Chicherina, who agreed to the charges, was released from the pre-trial detention center to house arrest, and at the end of June her preventive measure was changed to a ban on certain actions. The former rector did not admit guilt; the day after her detention the court sent her to a pre-trial detention center, in spring the preventive measure was softened to house arrest, and at the end of summer — to the same ban on certain actions.

      Investigations of all the criminal cases continue.

      Author: Aleksandra Turovskaya