Khrenin 'Privatised' Apartment In Centre Of Minsk

6.12.2023, 9:52
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Defence Minister used original scheme to get luxury apartment.

Belarusian Defence Minister Viktor Khrenin used an original scheme to get an elite apartment on PobediteleI Avenue in Minsk.

Back in December 2020, he became the owner of a large three-room apartment in the Slavyansky area- a prestigious location directly opposite the Stela.

The area of his flat at 27 Pobediteley Avenue is 94 square metres. Judging by the advertisements on property websites, such apartments cost around $300,000. However, Khrenin probably got a much cheaper deal.

He didn't just buy the flat, he bought it in instalments. This option was offered to Khrenin by the Presidential Property Management Department. The total cost of the instalments was 133 thousand rubles. At the time, that was about $52,000. This was probably the full price of the minister's apartment.

Theoretically, it's possible that he paid something out of his own pocket as a down payment, but Nasha Niva has yet to record any such cases in its stories about elite housing for Belarusian officials.

In any case, Khrenin promised to pay for the apartment in equal instalments over seven years, which he is still doing. The option is actually cheap, as the Belarusian ruble continues to fall. At the current exchange rate, the cost of the instalments has already fallen to $42,000.

There was a certain symbolism in the fact that, four months after the events of August 2020, the Minister of Defence was given an apartment overlooking the Stela.

It should be recalled that on 9 August, demonstrators demanding a fair vote count tried to gather near the Stela, but were dispersed with light and sound grenades.