French theme park company Puy du Fou continued cooperating with sanctioned Russian oligarch Konstantin Malofeev on plans to build a park in occupied Crimea even after the European Union placed Malofeev under sanctions, according to a Guardian investigation based on internal company documents.
About a month after the EU imposed sanctions on Malofeev in 2014, Puy du Fou founder Philippe de Villiers and his son Nicolas traveled to occupied Yalta, where they met with Vladimir Putin. The men discussed building two theme parks in Russia, one of which was planned for occupied Crimea and was meant to highlight Russia’s history and the significance of the Russian soul.
Documents show the parties signed a joint venture agreement, Puy du Fou Tsargrad, with each side holding a 50 percent stake. Tsargrad is also the name of a pro-Kremlin media holding founded by Malofeev.
Although Puy du Fou said it began winding down cooperation after sanctions were imposed on 30 July 2014, the documents indicate the company maintained contact with Malofeev’s structures until at least August 2015, discussed minimizing the effect of sanctions, continued financing some project work, and held actor casting sessions in Russia.
