This scandal also involves an elite sex club.
A potential buyer of the bankrupt shopping complex Zsar, located in the Finnish municipality of Virolahti at the Vaalimaa border crossing, is connected to the inner circle of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Helsingin Sanomat reported that the Finnish company Datatriumnord, owned by Viktor Ignatiev, has made an offer to purchase the Zsar outlet village.
Russian millionaire Viktor Ignatiev, who intends to buy Zsar, was a business partner of oil tycoon Vladimir Pinchuk. Pinchuk, in turn, has business ties with oligarch Gennady Timchenko, who is part of Putin's inner circle.
Russian-Finnish oligarch Timchenko is among the richest people in Russia and is on the sanctions lists of both the EU and the US. The US justified the imposition of economic sanctions by stating that Putin likely has access to the oligarch's billion-dollar fortune.
Virolahti Mayor Topi Heinänen stated that the information regarding Ignatiev's connection to Timchenko came as a complete surprise to him.
– This information does not bring any particular joy, on the contrary. I believe that Finnish security authorities will conduct a background check in this situation, – said Heinänen.
The potential buyer was previously characterized in the media as "a foreign entity from Central Europe." In reality, Ignatiev is a Russian national who also holds German citizenship. Finland banned real estate transactions for Russians last summer for security reasons, but the ban does not apply to Russians who also hold citizenship from an EU or EEA country.
According to data from the Russian trade registry and media, Ignatiev held one of the key positions in the Russian real estate company "Tandem-Estate." In 2022, ownership of the company was transferred from Luxembourg to Russia. At that time, Ignatiev owned a third of the company's shares, while his partner Vladimir Pinchuk owned the rest.
A Representative Defends the Interests of the Owner of a Sex Club Involved in a Criminal Case
The affairs of Ignatiev's Finnish company Datatriumnord are handled by Igor Rokka, who works in the real estate sector. He previously worked in the Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Karelia and in the trade representation of Russia in Finland. According to information obtained from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Rokka worked in the trade representation from 2008 to 2016 as an administrative officer. At that time, he was still called Igor Titov.
According to data obtained from the Migration Service, Rokka became a citizen of Finland in 2021. Rokka represents the interests of many Russian apartment and property owners in Finland.
One of them is a Russian businessman living in Finland who owns property in the country worth nearly five million euros. In particular, he owns a property on Ratakatu Street in Helsinki, where the Rotko sex club operates.
Yle reported in May 2025 that the police are investigating three cases of alleged rape that occurred in this club. The property owner is not connected to these allegations. Yle does not name him as he is not a prominent figure.
Rokka did not give an interview to Yle but commented on the situation via email.
– My professional activities in Finland have been and are conducted within the framework of Finnish legislation and norms. My role in Datatriumnord oy and in the project was extremely limited and advisory, – wrote Rokka.
The Municipality Has No Means to Verify the Potential Buyer
The municipality of Virolahti had no means to verify the past of potential buyers, as the sale process is handled by a bankruptcy administrator. Mayor Heinänen hopes that the authorities will thoroughly examine the biography of the potential buyer.
The bankruptcy administrator of Zsar, Matti Manner, states that the biography of the potential buyer has already been checked. According to him, the deal is expected to be announced later this month.
The Ministry of Defense reports that it does not comment on the sale of Zsar or any other individual cases.
The Zsar shopping complex was opened in 2018 to attract wealthy Russian shopping tourists, but the project faced difficulties even before the COVID pandemic. The final blow came when the pandemic and the war in Ukraine halted Russian tourism to Finland. The shopping complex went bankrupt at the end of 2022.
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