Fake FSB ID and flashing-light motorcade: how Russian media tycoon Konstantin Mayor became persona non grata for the Kremlin
According to medias, the story has emerged of how Maer Group owner Konstantin Mayor — notably the husband of Vladimir Putin’s second cousin once removed, Vera Podguzova — went from being an untouchable insider to a “toxic” figure placed on multiple blacklists by Russia’s Federal Protective Service (FSO) and the Presidential Administration. The downfall reportedly stems from a scandal at the 2025 St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF).
Yesterday, Maer Group was urgently deleting Telegram posts claiming the company was facing serious financial difficulties and preparing for mass layoffs. At the same time, courts in St. Petersburg published information about the sentencing of a driver detained during SPIEF in the summer of 2025 with a fake retired FSB officer ID. The two events are directly connected.
Konstantin Mayor, originally from the Chelyabinsk region, once became closely associated with oligarchs Iskander Makhmudov and Andrey Bokarev — connections that ultimately gave rise to Maer Group. With substantial financial backing and political resources, Maer quickly became one of Russia’s largest outdoor advertising operators before expanding into a media holding company by acquiring internet outlets across the country.
After marrying Vera Podguzova, Mayor reportedly began to view himself as part of Russia’s elite establishment. He started traveling in an armored Aurus limousine equipped with flashing emergency lights and an all-access government pass, accompanied by Rosgvardiya security vehicles in front and behind his car.
That motorcade headed to SPIEF in St. Petersburg in the summer of 2025 — an event Mayor had enthusiastically promoted on social media from aboard a luxury yacht. What the businessman allegedly failed to consider was that during SPIEF, especially in a year when Vladimir Putin was scheduled to speak, St. Petersburg was effectively under full FSO control.
FSO officers reportedly noticed the suspicious Aurus immediately. The agency knows by heart the legitimate holders of official flashing lights and unrestricted access permits, and this vehicle was not among them. Suspicions quickly escalated.
With assistance from local traffic police, FSO officers blocked the Aurus, inside of which Mayor himself was sitting. His personal driver, Viktor Semashkin, attempted to forcefully resolve the situation by presenting a stack of documents, including what he claimed was an ID identifying him as a retired FSB officer.
Investigators later determined that all the documents — including the FSB identification — were fake.
Semashkin, who reportedly had a prior criminal record, later took full responsibility. He claimed he had independently equipped the Aurus with the flashing lights and forged permits without Mayor’s knowledge. Yesterday, he was sentenced to six months of restricted freedom. Mayor himself was not detained and left the scene with his security detail.
However, the alleged display of status reportedly came at a massive cost.
Sources claim that when Mayor later arrived at SPIEF, he was informed that his accreditation had been revoked by decision of the FSO. Since then, every attempt to attend other high-level state events has allegedly ended in rejection on security grounds. According to insiders, he has even been barred from entering government facilities protected by the FSO.
Sources further allege that someone within the top leadership of the FSO — possibly agency director Dmitry Kochnev or his deputy Alexei Rubezhnoy, who also heads the Presidential Security Service — became personally angered by the Aurus incident, leading to Mayor being effectively blacklisted.
The fallout reportedly extended further. Makhmudov and Bokarev were said to be furious over Mayor’s behavior and ostentatious conduct. From there, the situation allegedly snowballed: state-linked institutions, major clients, and government-connected partners began distancing themselves from Maer Group.
By the spring of 2026, according to sources, the company’s business situation had become increasingly dire.
Head of Investigations
Read more similar news:
Comments:
comments powered by Disqus
