Saint Basil the Great Foundation

The Saint Basil the Great Foundation (Фонд святителя Василия Великого) is a Russian private non-commercial organisation, positioned as a charitable foundation. It was founded in Moscow in 2007 by Russian businessman Konstantin Malofeev. The foundation is named after Saint Basil the Great, a fourth-century Christian bishop and theologian. The foundation traces its origins to July 2007, when Malofeev established the 'Russian Society of Benefactors in Defence of Motherhood and Childhood'. Its first programme, 'Heart of a Child', launched in February 2007 to fund treatment of children with congenital heart defects in Russian clinics. In January 2008 Malofeev founded the Saint Basil the Great Gymnasium. In June 2010 the board of trustees renamed the organisation the Saint Basil the Great Foundation. The foundation's activities span support for the Russian Orthodox Church, education, pro-life campaigns, internet safety, and social rehabilitation. It has supported the Sretensky Theological Seminary since May 2010, funded the 'Churches and Monasteries' programme, and backed the 'Live, Baby!' anti-abortion campaign. In February 2011 it founded the Safe Internet League, whose board was headed by then communications minister Igor Shchegolev and which included major Russian telecom and internet companies. The foundation also supported the Holy Trinity Seminary of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia in Jordanville, USA, from February 2012, and joined the Donors Forum in March 2012. By 2016 the board of trustees included presidential aide Igor Shchegolev, Marshall Capital executive director Dmitry Skuratov, film director Nikita Mikhalkov, and Bishop Tikhon (Shevkunov) of Yegoryevsk, abbot of Sretensky Monastery. The foundation's declared budget was $42 million in 2012; in 2014 it was 1.1 billion rubles, with major expenditures on the gymnasium, churches and monasteries, the 'Enlightenment' programme, and the Safe Internet League. From 2014 the foundation became embroiled in controversy over its activities in Ukraine. It organised the transport of the Magi's Gifts relic to Ukraine in early 2014, and according to a contract with Alexander Borodai it periodically sent both household cargo and dual-use items (body armour, camouflage, thermal imagers) to the separatist republics. In 2015 it transported a reliquary with the relics of Prince Vladimir across Russia and Belarus. French television channel Canal+ reported that in 2014–2015 the foundation financed the parties of Jean-Marie Le Pen and Marine Le Pen in France, though this was not confirmed. In 2018 the foundation was placed on Ukraine's sanctions list. In 2023, together with Maria Lvova-Belova, it organised the 'Happy Childhood' project to repair orphanages and boarding schools in occupied parts of Donetsk, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia regions. The foundation remains active, with its website at fondsvv.ru. Its leadership has included Elena Milskaia as vice-president and then general director in 2017–2019. The foundation is a private entity, not publicly listed.

The Saint Basil the Great Foundation was founded in Moscow in 2007 by Russian businessman Konstantin Malofeev. Its origins lie in the 'Russian Society of Benefactors in Defence of Motherhood and Childhood', established in July 2007. The first programme, 'Heart of a Child', was created in February 2007 to finance treatment of children with congenital heart defects in Russian specialised clinics. In January 2008 Malofeev founded the Saint Basil the Great Gymnasium. In June 2010 the board of trustees renamed the fund the Saint Basil the Great Foundation. From May 2010 the foundation supported the Sretensky Theological Seminary, fully providing for its educational process and daily needs. In October 2010 it sponsored the Orthodox media festival 'Faith and Word'. In November 2010 it launched the 'Churches and Monasteries' programme, supporting Russian Orthodox churches; the first project was support for the Church of Saint Martyr Tatiana at Moscow State University. It also supported a project for social and spiritual rehabilitation of former prisoners in the village of Kostenki, Voronezh Oblast, and in December 2010 opened the 'Help to the Science City of Pushchino' programme. In February 2011 restoration work was carried out at the Church of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos in Podmoklovo, a masterpiece of 18th-century Russian architecture. On 7 February 2011 the foundation founded the Safe Internet League, whose main stated task was combating pornographic material involving minors on the Russian-language internet. The league included VimpelCom (Beeline), MegaFon, MTS, Rostelecom, Mail.ru, and Kaspersky Lab; its board was headed by Russian communications minister Igor Shchegolev. From March 2011, to combat abortion through social advertising on monitors in women's clinics, the foundation ran the 'Live, Baby!' programme. In April 2011 it partnered with an open regional competition of social projects 'Protection of Family, Motherhood and Childhood'. From around 2011, Alexander Borodai was a PR consultant leading several foundation projects. From February 2012 the foundation supported the Holy Trinity Seminary of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia in Jordanville, USA. In March 2012 it became a member of the Donors Forum, a coalition of Russian and foreign donor organisations operating in Russia. In early 2014 the foundation organised the transport of a Christian relic (the Magi's Gifts) to Ukraine; members of the far-right movement 'Forty Forties' and future separatist and DPR defence minister Igor Strelkov (introduced to Malofeev by Borodai) took part in escorting and guarding the Gifts. In Crimea, Malofeev tried to use his foundation to sponsor pro-Russian separatists, but according to him the collected money was 'actually stolen' by being frozen in a Ukrainian bank. The relic tour cost 13.75 million rubles, and funds confiscated from Malofeev amounted to more than 30 million rubles. From the start of the war in Donbas, according to a contract signed with Alexander Borodai, the foundation periodically sent both household cargo and dual-use items (body armour, camouflage clothing, thermal imagers) to the separatist republics. In 2015 the foundation transported a reliquary with the relics of Prince Vladimir across Russia and Belarus. According to French television channel Canal+, in 2014–2015 the foundation financed the parties of Jean-Marie Le Pen and Marine Le Pen in France, though Zurab Chavchavadze refused to confirm this and said journalists would never be able to prove it. In 2015 the foundation agreed with businessman Nikolai Tsvetkov to conduct several joint projects. In 2017–2019 Elena Milskaia was vice-president and then general director of the foundation. In 2018 the foundation was placed on Ukraine's sanctions list. In 2023, together with Maria Lvova-Belova, it organised the 'Happy Childhood' project to repair orphanages and boarding schools in occupied parts of Donetsk, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia regions. Financially, the foundation's declared budget in 2012 was $42 million. In 2014 its budget was 1.1 billion rubles, with main expenditures: construction of the Saint Basil the Great Gymnasium and purchase of equipment for it — 400 million rubles; financing of churches and monasteries — 248 million; the 'Enlightenment' programme — 175 million; the 'Safe Internet League' programme — 58 million. According to Malofeev, the foundation allocated more than 300 million rubles to support the Russian Orthodox Church in 2013 and over 600 million rubles in 2014.

• First programme 'Heart of a Child' established to fund treatment of children with congenital heart defects.

• Konstantin Malofeev founds the 'Russian Society of Benefactors in Defence of Motherhood and Childhood'.

• Malofeev founds the Saint Basil the Great Gymnasium.

• Foundation begins supporting the Sretensky Theological Seminary.

• Board of trustees renames the fund to Saint Basil the Great Foundation.

• Sponsors the Orthodox media festival 'Faith and Word'.

• Launches the 'Churches and Monasteries' programme.

• Opens the 'Help to the Science City of Pushchino' programme.

• Founds the Safe Internet League.

• Launches the 'Live, Baby!' anti-abortion programme.

• Begins supporting the Holy Trinity Seminary in Jordanville, USA.

• Joins the Donors Forum.

• Organises transport of the Magi's Gifts relic to Ukraine; budget reaches 1.1 billion rubles.

• Transports reliquary with relics of Prince Vladimir across Russia and Belarus.

• Elena Milskaia serves as vice-president and then general director.

• Foundation added to Ukraine's sanctions list.

• Organises 'Happy Childhood' project in occupied territories with Maria Lvova-Belova.

Russian Orthodox charitable foundation supporting motherhood, childhood, education, and church projects, later controversial for geopolitical involvement.

1. 1Официальный сайт Фонда святителя Василия Великогоfondsvv.ru
2. 2Фонд Святителя Василия Великого — Википедияru.wikipedia.org
3. 3Wikidata: 圣瓦西里大基金会wikidata.org