According to Kommersant, Andrey Patrushev, the son of Russian Presidential Aide Nikolai Patrushev, has become a co-owner of the holding company "Vayz Invest," which controls the Arkhangelsk Sea Port. He holds a 16.68% stake in this company. Combined with his direct holdings in the port, his total share in the Arkhangelsk Port is estimated to be around 20%.
Following the change in the shareholder structure, Igor Nafikov's stake in "Vayz Invest" decreased from 66.67% to 49.99%, while Oksana Nefedova retained her 33.37% share. The companies involved have not commented on this transaction.
The Arkhangelsk Port specializes in handling containers, timber, metals, fertilizers, and bulk cargo, serving several Russian energy companies. The port has 11 terminals with a total length of 1.7 thousand kilometers, and its container terminal area covers 89.9 thousand square meters. In 2024, the port's revenue increased by 25.5% to 3.45 billion rubles, while net profit rose by 44.4% to 1.4 billion rubles.
Despite strong financial performance, the port's operational indicators have declined. With a rated annual capacity of 2.5 million tons, cargo handling volume in 2025 decreased by 25% to 750 thousand tons. Total cargo throughput via the port fell by 15% to 2.2 million tons. Its share among Arctic basin ports is about 2.5%, with Murmansk and Sabetta remaining the main players.
The port's ownership has changed hands several times historically. At the end of 2015, the former main owner, Norilsk Nickel, sold its 74.78% stake to structures related to Invest AG. Currently, apart from Andrey Patrushev and "Vayz Invest," other shareholders include the limited liability company "TD 'Bulat-SBS'" (22.5%) and the limited liability company "Investment Industrial Partner" (7.5%), both co-owned by Mark Buzuk.
Andrey Patrushev has extensive prior experience in the energy sector and public administration, including positions at the Federal Security Service, several oil companies, and the "Arctic Initiatives Center." He also holds minority stakes in transportation IT and sports AI companies.
Regarding asset valuation, "Vayz Invest" acquired a 60% stake in the Arkhangelsk Port for 661.67 million rubles in 2022, valuing the port at 1.1 billion rubles at that time. Mikhail Burmistrov, General Director of "Infoline-analytics," estimates its current market value at 3.5-4 billion rubles, with a 10% non-controlling stake priced around 300 million rubles.
Mikhail Burmistrov stated, "The main factor limiting the development of the Arkhangelsk Port's business remains its high dependence on a limited number of clients." He added that the port's prospects depend on its ability to attract additional cargo flows, and a key task is to increase capacity to its designed level.
Since 2024, the Arkhangelsk Port has been cooperating with the Chinese NewNew Shipping Line to develop container shipping routes. In July 2024, the company launched the "Arctic Express N1" trade route connecting Arkhangelsk with Shanghai and Ningbo, with cargo transported by rail to Moscow and St. Petersburg. Burmistrov considers this direction promising but believes it may be insufficient to fully utilize the port's capacity.
