News
Former Russian Deputy Defense Minister Timur Ivanov has been under arrest for large-scale bribery since April. His stepdaughter, by contrast, is working to promote the Italian winery Bruni. The Insider has found that the Russian distributor for this winery, Simple, has been found to supply its products to the Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine.
Cover photo: Joint event by Bruni and the Maniovich.AM brand. Source: Simple (Facebook) and Maniovich AM (Instagram).
Earlier this month, Moscow's affluent Patriarch's Ponds neighborhood hosted a presentation of Bruni wines at the Marco Polo Hotel. The event showcased bottle decorations by Maniovich.AM — a brand owned by Alexandra Maniovich, Ivanov’s stepdaughter. The scenery included a bathtub filled with prosecco and ice, a glowing dance floor, and elaborate installations spread across the venue. Waitstaff were dressed in hussar-inspired uniforms — an interesting choice given the Maniovich family’s close ties to former high-ranking officials in the Russian Ministry of Defense.
Luxury alcohol from Simple's portfolio — vintage cognacs and high-end wines — is sold in Spirits Tobacco Market stores located in Russian-occupied Ukrainian cities including Donetsk, Makiivka, and Mariupol. While the company is seemingly aware of these activities, which undermines its claims of ethical responsibility, Alexandra Maniovich remains free of international sanctions and continues to enjoy a luxurious life in Europe.
Maniovich and her connection to Timur Ivanov
Alexandra's stepfather, Timur Ivanov, served as Russia's Deputy Minister of Defense from 2016 to 2024. Before joining the MoD, he worked under Sergey Shoigu during the latter’s stint as Governor of the Moscow Region. In 2022, the late Alexei Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation (ACF) collaborated with the independent investigative outlet Proekt to publish an exposé about the luxurious lifestyle of the deputy minister and his family. Ivanov's assets included an elite 300-square-meter apartment in Moscow's 1st Zachatyevsky Lane and a massive estate exceeding 10,000 square meters in the prestigious village of Uspenskoye. A search of the former minister’s properties resulted in the seizure of 23 cars, 12 motorcycles, a scooter, and a fishing boat.
The investigators identified the Defense Ministry contractor Olimpcitystroy — which operates in Russian-occupied Mariupol, among multiple other locations — as one of the main sources of Ivanov's illicit income. The firm's revenue exceeded 65 billion rubles (close to $651 million) in 2023. Timur Ivanov was arrested in April 2024 and was implicated in another criminal investigation in October. The ex-minister has been accused of embezzling 3.2 billion rubles (over $32 million) from Intercommerz Bank and 200 million rubles (over $2 million) during the procurement of ferries for the Kerch Strait crossing.
Alexandra Maniovich is the daughter of Ivanov's ex-wife, Svetlana Maniovich. Ivanov raised Alexandra from childhood, and she refers to him as her parent. Despite the war in Ukraine, in which Ivanov has played an active role, his wife and stepdaughter continued to lead lavish lifestyles in Europe. Ivanov and the Maniovich family own luxury property on the French Riviera, as well as a Rolls-Royce bought specifically for vacations. In March 2022, a month after the full-scale invasion began, Alexandra visited Paris and London, shopping in luxury boutiques and reportedly spending up to €8,000 per visit.
In May 2023, the ACF revealed that Maniovich spent her spring vacation in Italy, using money earned by Ivanov during the war to fund her lifestyle in the EU. Russian anti-war activists even protested outside Maniovich's Paris apartment, but this did not result in sanctions or the seizure of her assets. In addition to her stepfather, Alexandra counts another relative among Russia's military elite: her aunt, Maria Kitaeva, formerly served as an advisor to the Minister of Defense.
Luxury alcohol in Ukraine’s occupied territories
The Bruni brand, which ended the year with a grandiose party involving Maniovich, is a private label developed specifically for the Russian market. Unlike global brands such as Martini or Cinzano, Bruni is sold exclusively in Russia. Its products are produced by the Italian winery Cielo e Terra. The company reported revenues of €65.7 million in 2023 and described itself in a press release as part of a global movement promoting “a more evolved business paradigm” and “the most stringent ethical standards.”
However, these claims of social responsibility are questionable in the context of the activities of its Russian distributor, Simple, which does business in Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine. One of the main distribution channels for luxury alcohol in the so-called “Donetsk People's Republic” (“DPR”) and “Luhansk People's Republic” (“LPR”) is the Spirits Tobacco Market chain. This network of alcohol boutiques includes 16 stores in Donetsk, Makiivka, Mariupol, Shakhtarsk, and Khartsyzk. Through these outlets, the war-torn areas now have access to hundreds of luxury alcohol brands, including the vintage cognac Frapin 1995 and the twenty-year-old port Graham's.
Not long ago, the boutiques mainly stocked well-known Russian brands of hard alcohol and wines. But the summer of 2023 saw a marked expansion of the selection on offer. A July 13 post on the stores’ VK social network account announced: “We have a lot of new arrivals. Stay tuned.” The post showcased wine from 9 Lives — a Chilean group distributed by Simple. Over the next few months, the Donetsk boutique's Instagram and VK pages featured ads for more than 20 brands from Simple's portfolio.
Not only is one of Russia's largest wine importers aware that its brands are being sold in the occupied territories — the broad assortment and frequency of social media posts strongly suggest a commercial effort to expand sales there.