Former Defence Minister Grant Shapps has reacted furiously to an Express investigation which revealed Russian oligarchs are flying English nannies to Russia for £180,000 jobs. As Vladimir Putin’s bloody campaign in Ukraine continues to draw scorn from the British government, three British childcarers all currently living in Russia and employed by billionaires have told their story.
Each said the wide-ranging UK sanctions against oligarchs had provided only a temporary challenge for their oligarch employers and that their luxurious lifestyles are largely unaffected. One even claimed heirs to their parents’ fortunes are travelling to England to watch concerts by bands they like.
Shapps, who was one of the leading figures in the efforts to seize and freeze British assets of Russian billionaires following the 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine, said the situation needed to be examined.
“Sanctions that aren’t watertight are pointless — these oligarchs slip through the cracks like champagne through a colander,” he told the Express.
“If we don’t keep tightening them, we’re just giving the rich a slightly longer detour to their luxury.
“The world must not forget that Vladimir Putin is a dictator who has savagely invaded a democratic European neighbour.
“Every time we allow his inner circle to wriggle free of sanctions, we weaken our moral stance and embolden his regime. There must be no loopholes for luxury.”
English nannies have been popular among the nouveau riche billionaires from the former Soviet Union who acquired astronomical fortunes in the early 1990s after communism collapsed.
A combination of accent and prestige plus a reputation for manners has made a British childcarer a must-have among Russia’s elite.
The strong demand has meant those willing to overlook Putin’s bloody regime can earn sums of £180,000 per year, which is considerably more than the average UK nanny salary of £32,000.
Many are sourced by Valentin Grogol, 40, a Russian who has run the English Nanny agency for 16 years.
Grogol told the Express that his list of clients included Diora Usmanova, the niece-in-law of ex-Arsenal and Everton football club shareholder Alisher Usmanov. Irina Bolgar, who is the ex-wife of Messaging app Telegram’s founder Pavel Durov, is another well-known customer.
His first client, Anzhelika Khan, took the British Government to court over the sanctions her husband German was hit with in January.
Grogol has gained a reputation as a fixer for the ultra-wealthy in part because of his extensive vetting. The Moscovite told the Express that since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 he has worked even harder to ensure those on his roster are “politically neutral”.
“We ask them, ‘What is your opinion [on Russians?] – are you OK to fly to Russia? Do you feel any hatred against Russia?” he said.
“We check in as much information as we can. We are trying to find politically neutral people.”