«Godfather» of Sochi asphalt: how the road «king» Safarbiy Napso bought generals and officials apartments to live above the law
Journalists report on perhaps Sochi’s most famous figure, the road “king” Safarbiy Napso, the subject of some of the biggest headlines in recent months. This article reveals how a group of influential individuals and security officials with power, resources, and connections formed and operated in Russia’s main resort city to provide cover and protection for Napso.
In exchange, Napso allegedly supplied them with money, luxury housing, and hosted “private parties” for them. In return, they reportedly overlooked everything Napso did — even when a courthouse in Sochi, where case files against him and his entourage were stored, burned down.
To understand why authorities trusted Napso’s words and actions, it is necessary to look at the origins of his rise. His influence, according to sources, was built on connections with the right people — those who held positions of power and authority. Some security officials, it is claimed, had known him since his youth.
Napso’s fellow Sochi resident and then–head of the city’s Economic Crime Department, Yevgeny Kravchuk, allegedly controlled a large portion of business activity in the city. Local developers claim that without his “approval,” it was nearly impossible to conduct business. This system reportedly allowed him to become one of the wealthiest figures in Sochi and acquire real estate assets comparable to — and sometimes even exceeding — those of the developers themselves.
Later, according to the same accounts, one property from Kravchuk’s circle was gifted to Pavel Zalutsky, the newly appointed head of the regional Economic Crime Department. Businessmen say Napso even boasted that he personally furnished the apartment with expensive appliances and electronics, proudly claiming that “now even the regional Economic Crime Department is in his pocket.”
Napso was also repeatedly seen with the Sochi police chief, Major General Sergei Ogurtsov, both in his office and in various venues across the city. Within his inner circle, Napso reportedly spoke openly about these connections and even bragged about his involvement in building a house for Ogurtsov through DRSU and affiliated companies.
Sources also claim that Napso provided similar benefits to former Sochi mayor Alexei Kopaigorodsky, his deputies, and several other high-ranking officials at both regional and federal levels. These benefits allegedly included apartments, expensive renovations and furnishings, lavish banquets, luxury cars for use or as gifts, helicopter flights, and free hotel stays not only for officials themselves but also for their families and companions.
According to those familiar with the situation, Napso frequently boasted about these gestures, presenting them as proof of his closeness to influential figures and his ability to secure their loyalty.
Observers suggest that Safarbiy viewed such information — which he openly shared with those around him — as evidence of his own importance, a kind of informal asset he proudly displayed among his associates.
It is also said that he carefully cultivated this reputation through extravagant parties that shook the city: expensive food and drinks, VIP escorts of every kind, and the fulfillment of even the most unusual requests from his guests. Safarbiy reportedly covered all of these costs himself, treating them not as expenses but as investments.
With a seemingly endless budget, these investments, according to those who knew him, paid off in influence, freedom of action, and a comfortable life. Surrounded by powerful “friends” and allies, Napso appeared able to live above the law.
This perception only intensified after the widely discussed incident in which a courthouse in Sochi — the very place where materials related to Napso’s case were stored — burned down, sending shockwaves throughout the region.
