Nova: Serbian Orthodox Church receives exclusive property in Herceg Novi, worth several million euros

The Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC) received exclusive property in Herceg Novi, worth several million euros, and the "donation" came from a Russian company from the United Arab Emirates.

Nova.rs writes that while the Patriarch of the Serbian Orthodox Church Porfirije disclosed the elements of the Color Revolution in Serbia in Moscow to the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin and in the presence of the Russian Patriarch Kirill and Bishop of Bačka Irinej Bulović, a company owned by the Serbian Orthodox Church signed an important Share Transfer Agreement that brought it valuable property in the old town of Herceg Novi without any compensation. The property on which the exclusive Anchor Luxury Apartments are located came into the possession of the Serbian Church through an agreement signed with the Russian property owners within the company Slovenska Alijansa.

The Patriarch met with Putin on April 22, and on April 24, a contract was signed between the company Ecopoint FZE LLC, which is 100 percent owner of the company for tourism and trade of goods and services Slovenska aliansa doo, and the company Filoxenia doo, owned by the Serbian Orthodox Church, Nova.rs reports.

The company, which has no public presence and is registered in the United Arab Emirates in a "free zone", was founded in June 2023 by Russian citizens: Alexander Belyakov and Nikolai Zemlyansky - it appears to be a consequence of sanctions against Russian citizens and companies and an attempt to continue business despite these sanctions and restrictions.

Thus, the Serbian Orthodox Church, through its company, acquired significant exclusive property in the old town of Herceg Novi in ​​a process that shows that the property was literally donated.

The contract that Nova.rs had access to shows that there is no fee for the transfer of the entire ownership stake, and legal practice shows that this form of business is an attempt either to reduce the tax base or a simpler way to gain possession.

Simply put - the property of the company Slovenska aliansa, which manages expensive buildings in Herceg Novi and in whose construction and reconstruction several million euros were invested (according to statements from previous owners), was transferred free of charge to the Serbian Orthodox Church, or rather its company Filoksenia, with an estimated property value of 565,227.26 euros.

Nova.rs sources from Montenegro say that this transaction, the change of owner in this way, will be the subject of an investigation by Montenegrin investigative and tax authorities into the circumstances of potential tax evasion, that is, avoiding paying full tax on such a transaction.

Whether the Serbian Church wanted to circumvent the regulations or found the quickest possible way to take possession of valuable property - that remains to be seen, as neither representatives of the Serbian Orthodox Church nor the director of the Slovensa Alijansa company, Željko Roganović, wanted to talk about it.

Even the Russian "partners" could not talk about this transaction.

Belyakov died at the end of March last year and his partner is a completely mysterious figure, about whom it is almost impossible to find out anything. Belyakov had ten percent of the ownership worth 56.522,73 euros and his partner 90 percent worth 508,704.53 euros.

Ten years ago, Vijesti reported on the intention of the owners of the Slovenian Alliance to sell their business in Montenegro. At the time, Beljakov said that between 5 and 6 million euros had been invested in the complex in the old town.

The news reported at the time that 10 years ago, the Slovenian Alliance purchased the Marko Car complex, measuring 377 square meters, and two dilapidated buildings measuring 791 square meters, from the Defense Reform Fund of the then FRY for 255.000 euros.

"The complex is located in the most beautiful part of the Old Town, from where there is a view of the entrance to the Bay of Kotor... At the end of the 19th century, there was a barracks for the Austro-Hungarian army, and later the army of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. After World War II, the Housing Company operated in these buildings, and in the 1979 earthquake the buildings were damaged and then abandoned. The Slovenian Alliance owns both the building and the courtyard of the former JNA House, covering an area of ​​785 square meters. So far, the Russians have completed an exhibition gallery, 12 apartments and an art cafe in the complex. The gallery has never been open, but it houses a permanent exhibition of works by Beljakov, who is also a painter. The art cafe is also not open, nor is the former JNA House, which was supposed to become the Russian House - a meeting place for artists and a permanent art colony. It was supposed to have 20 accommodation units. Due to the expansion of the old JNA House, the Administration for the Protection of Cultural Monuments from Kotor refused to issue a permit for this reconstruction for years," it states. to the News text.

However, as of today, no buyer has been found, and it seems that everything was eventually donated to the Serbian Orthodox Church, or rather, to its company Filoksenia. This company, which recently changed its name, is now called Filoksenia, and was previously called Filoxenia. It is headed by a certain Lazar Koprivica, and the entire business in Montenegro was carried out by a notary office from Herceg Novi. This company SPC was founded in 2024 and at the end of its first year of business had a deficit of 508 thousand euros, which almost matches the assets of the majority owner, the former owner of the Slovenian Alliance, Nikolaj Zemljanski, writes Nova.rs.

Given that the entire transaction was conducted through an intermediary company from a free zone in the UAE, many questions remain unanswered, and the key is why the Church refuses to comment on this deal or gift - because, in the end, it becomes the owner of a valuable property that is currently being rented out as one of the most exclusive locations in Herceg Novi, and could also be a residence or a religious building in the future. How everything looks today, anyone can see on the Instagram account @anchorapartmentshn or book accommodation via the AirBnb platform. The resource does not have its own website nor is it listed on the Booking platform. It is located below St. Jerome's Square, some claim in the most beautiful part of the fortress in Herceg Novi, near the famous Music School and the Basic Court building.

When was Beljakov

Alexander Belyakov (1953–2025) was a Russian naval officer, diplomat, painter, and icon painter. He was born in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky into a family of officers of the Pacific Fleet. During his career in the Russian Navy, he rose to the rank of captain first class, after which he held diplomatic and managerial positions, including military attaché in the People's Republic of the Congo and Yugoslavia, as well as management positions in the construction and banking sectors.

He was particularly known for his artistic work as a Marist painter and icon painter, a member of the International Association of Artists. During his stay in Yugoslavia in the early 1990s, he held two solo exhibitions at the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts, and participated in the restoration of several Orthodox shrines in Russia, France, and Serbia, including the Russian Cemetery in Belgrade.

After moving to Montenegro, he was a representative of the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and engaged in church projects, especially in Herceg Novi, where he contributed to the restoration of the Russian Cemetery and the Church of Saint Fyodor Ushakov.

For his work, he was decorated several times in Russia, including the Order of Merit for the Fatherland and the Order of the Red Star. He died on March 9, 2025 in Kaliningrad.