On December 10, Politis published an article titled «Environmental Crime in Trimiklini — Diversion of a Small River for the Needs of a Private Individual».
The article tells how a businessman from Trimiklini, for a long time illegally, with numerous violations, used a plot of land in the water protection zone of the river Kouris for fish farming and exploitation of tourist facilities he built there, where no development is allowed under any circumstances. The owner of this illegal farm created it primarily to cater to wealthy Russian clients and named his creation «The land of dreams.» This place, the article says, has become «a territory of lawlessness and arbitrariness.» We would add that any place where Russians appear becomes a territory of lawlessness and arbitrariness. History knows no exceptions to this rule. As a result of the activities of «The Land of Dreams», the ecology of the region has been severely damaged.
After numerous complaints from residents, the authorities launched an inspection, which resulted in the publication of a report by the Court of Auditors of the Republic of Cyprus, which listed numerous violations of applicable laws committed by the owner of the farm. The report also states that the facility was used to commit fraud and money laundering. All this took place with the connivance of a large number of public officials.
The Court of Auditors sent its report to the Cyprus Financial Intelligence Unit (MOKAS), the European Union’s Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF), and the Independent Anti-Corruption Authority.
Politis in its article asks how much money was spent to create a fish farm, restaurant, hotel, sauna, luxury cottages, and other facilities and who invested in such infrastructure. According to our sources familiar with the story of the creation of this «paradise for Russians», the investment for the creation of the Land of Dreams allegedly came from Moscow.
Only a criminal or journalistic investigation can provide an accurate answer to this question, and until there is one, it is worth taking a closer look at the identity of Andreas Christofi, whom Politis calls the owner of The Land of Dreams in its article.
The Land of Dreams ΗΕ 399972 company, which owns the scandalous property, is owned by two Cypriot citizens, Andreas Christofi (10% of shares) and Anna Christofi (90% of shares). In the registration documents, Anna Christofi’s place of residence is listed as Moscow, 16 Dmitriy Ulyanov Street, Building 2. At this address is a house known in Moscow for housing foreign diplomats and embassy employees, as well as employees of foreign organizations and companies. The owner of the building is the Main Production and Commercial Directorate for Diplomatic Corps Service under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation. During the Soviet era, this building housed foreigners from the socialist bloc countries. For the convenience of keeping track of them, the KGB placed them all in one place. The FSB continues this tradition and keeps an eye on those foreigners who currently reside in this house.
The North Macedonian embassy and several offices of foreign companies are located there. The house is surrounded by a fence and is closely guarded by the security structures of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs. Mere mortals do not live in this house.
Whether Anna Christofi is related to the diplomatic service is not known, but the residence of a shareholder of Land of Dreams, a company created in Cyprus to serve the rich Russians, in Moscow, in a house under the watchful eye of the Russian security services, looks, at least, mysterious.
It is also known that Anna Christofi is a graduate of the Peoples’ Friendship University, which indicates her undoubted connection with the Russian security services.
The University of Friendship of Peoples was created to train Soviet agents of influence from among foreign students and still fulfills this function under Putin.
Andreas Christofi is well known to Russians in Cyprus. People familiar with him claim that when he built the fish farm he wanted to create a tourist attraction for rich Russian clients who were willing to pay any price for the opportunity to fish and have a sauna. Orientation on the Russian clientele influenced the inflated cost of services and, most importantly, the behavior of the owner and staff of the institution. Many people note the rude and boorish behavior of Christofi and his staff towards non-Russian clients, even towards Cypriots. On the travel website Tripadvisor you can find many negative reviews from Cypriots, Brits, Germans, and other visitors to The Land of dreams. They all talk about the boorishness and rude manners of Christofi and the staff. Russian clients, on the contrary, after visiting the fish farm and communicating with its owner left enthusiastic reviews. In front of them, as an eyewitness aptly put it, he was «running on half bent».
In April 2018, the pro-Russian Cyprus Mail published a complimentary article about Christofi and his aqua farm. In it, the newspaper quotes the hero of the article as saying directly and openly, «I am a communist and I like everything related to Russia and the former Soviet Union, so I decided to go to Moscow to study».
Christofi studied at the University of People’s Friendship, which was established during the Soviet era for the sole purpose of recruiting foreign students by the Soviet secret services.
Nothing has changed in modern Russia.
When graduates of this university leave Moscow for their home countries, they usually become valuable sources of information and instruments of Russian influence in their countries. Christofi’s behavior and activities are proof of this.
«After finishing his studies in Moscow, Christofi returned to Cyprus and started working for Loel, a well-known local liquor manufacturer. Luckily for him, the company decided to send him back to Russia, to the Krasnodar region in the North Caucasus, to study winemaking.»- Cyprus Mail writes. A strange choice to study winemaking. Russia has never been able to make wine, only cheap liquor for the lumpenproletariat. Why he was not sent to study enology in Italy or France, recognized leaders in winemaking, is an open question. This is more like a cover for another activity, for which students at the UPF are prepared by curators from special services.
The article goes on to say:-«Deciding that it was time to part ways with Loel and go his own way, he bought 200 hectares of land in the Krasnodar region in the North Caucasus, where he is still growing fruit.» The question arises here: and with whose money?
Apparently for this purpose, in 2005, Christofi registered a company in Krasnodar region under the name «Frut-Argo Ltd».
And in this case, the choice of a place to conduct agricultural business in favor of Russia raises many questions.
Long-term residence in Russia has affected Christofi’s character, outlook, and behavior. He absorbed traditional Russian qualities — rudeness, aggressiveness, cynicism, hypocrisy, contempt for others. At the same time, he acquired no less traditional Soviet traits — slavishness and low worship of «superiors» and people of higher social status. Adherence to communist ideology undoubtedly contributed to this.
Often employees of the Russian embassy came to him for fishing and sweating. Sometimes Russian «diplomats in civilian clothes» brought «important guests» with them to «settle matters» in the bathhouse, according to the established Russian tradition. According to eyewitnesses, Christofi literally «fawned» in front of them and «went up their asses without soap».
For his demonstrative love of Russia and Putin, he was allowed to supply fish to the Russian embassy, which is a source of special pride for Christofi.
After the large-scale military invasion of Ukraine by Russia, the intelligence services of the aggressor country operating in Cyprus organized and carried out many special operations in the form of demonstrations of support for the war, Russia, and Putin. For this purpose, they mobilized a significant part of their agent network. One of the most prominent figures at the demonstrations in support of the Kremlin’s war crimes was Andreas Christofi.
Christofi at a pro-Russian demonstration outside the Russian embassy in Nicosia on March 12, 2022.
Here is what the Russian state news agency TASS reported about him on March 12, 2022:-«One of the organizers of the action was the Greek-Slavic Union. Its representative Andreas Christofi told a TASS correspondent: «We have recently established our union, which advocates for justice in a world that has long been defunct, and we have gathered here to express support for Russia, whose demands have been unheard of in the world for so many years.» According to Christofi, «Russia’s military operation in Ukraine was necessary to end European neo-Nazism, which is now powerfully developing.» «It’s time to stop it all,» he said, adding that he sees no other force other than Russia that could accomplish this task. Christofi also expressed confidence that the opinion of the participants in today’s rally in support of the Russian Federation is shared by more than half of the residents of Cyprus.»
Christofi is a model example of a Russian agent of Russian influence in Cyprus, nurtured by the Russian security services. There are thousands like him on the island and each of them is ready to fulfill orders from Moscow at any moment.
Christofi at a pro-Russian demonstration in Larnaca, surrounded by Russian embassy staff.
At the end of its article, Politis quotes Christofi’s opinion on the allegations against him of violating Cyprus law: «The exact opposite is the approach of Land of Dreams owner Andreas Christofi. «P» contacted him with specific questions about the problems mentioned both in the report and in the complaints that have been filed. According to Mr. Christofi, the issue that has arisen is purely political and concerns his views on issues related to the Russian Federation and the fact that the company works mainly with Russian citizens.»
Let’s see if Christofi manages to dodge the charges with such naive excuses.
Of particular interest in this whole story is the role of Anna Christofi, who lives and works in Moscow, but is the de facto owner of a fish farm, restaurant, sauna, and hotel in Cyprus where Russian embassy employees vacation.