Katanaev Ivan

in the past - one of the leaders of the Russian fan movement of the Moscow "Spartak", a pro-Kremlin provocateur, in 2014-15 actively participated in support (including in armed one) of pro-Russian formations in the Donbass, currently publicly endorses the full-scale war against Ukraine. Known under the pseudonyms "Kisa", "Combat 18", "Kombat", "Kompot".
Born in 1983 in Moscow. In 2004 he graduated from the National Research Nuclear University "MEPhI" with a degree in General Computer Programming/Programmer. In the early 2000s, he was engaged in the resale of fashion items brought from Europe in Russia (primarily among the fan and right-wing audience) - he was, in particular, a co-owner of the “Third Rome” clothing store in the center of Moscow. In 2007-2009 he served in the RF Armed Forces. The first more or less noticeable stage of Katanaev's "career" in the 2000s is associated with his "football-related" activities (for more details, see below). In 2011-2014, Katanaev, as a co-owner and / or director of various catering establishments, worked in the restaurant business in the tourist zone of Indonesia. In 2015 - “in a trading bike company.” In 2016-2020, he held various positions in Moscow (related to marketing and business development) at InStat Sports (labeled as a "sports performance analysis company"). Then, from 2020 to July 2022, he worked at Sportrecs , including as Deputy General Director (according to his own statements). Currently (May 2023) Ivan Katanaev, as he himself claims, has allegedly been the vice president of SportTech in the Yandex structure since November 2022. Also, according to his own statements, he is allegedly also a “lecturer at the Higher School of Economics ” (since January 2020) and also “a member of the committee on physical culture, sports, tourism and youth affairs in the State Duma of the Russian Federation” (since October 2019), with this, even without being a State Duma deputy, and, accordingly, without being mentioned in any way on the website of this committee .
Much more interesting is "Kisa’s" "socio-political" activity.
In the late 1990s, Katanaev joined the movement of ultra-right skinheads and football fans (he supported Spartak Moscow). At the same time, according to his own statements, he was a member of the Moscow branch of the international right-wing radical organization "Blood and Honour ", in connection with which he used the nickname "Combat 18" at that time - in honor of the terrorist "combat wing" of this organization of the same name.
However, it is obvious that as the “anti-extremist” legislation in the Russian Federation and, in general, repressive practices on the part of Russian “law enforcement” bodies became tougher, staying in the ultra-right environment ceased to be “comfortable” enough for Katanaev and he decided to “migrate” to a more “acceptable” for authorities (and therefore more “calm” for him) sphere of “official football fanaticism”. However, in his own words, in the second half of the 2000s he departed from the extreme right views allegedly because he “started reading books”.
Be that as it may, in mid-2000s, Ivan Katanaev became known to the general public as one of the main “ultras’ cheerleaders” (that is, coordinators of the “show” of supporting the football team) on the Spartak “fan stand” and as the organizer of the “Fratria” - the largest community at that time Spartak fans. In the late 2000s, he was one of the founders of the All-Russian Association of Fans (VOB) - in fact, the state body for controlling the fan movement. However, in 2010, as a result of a scandal involving Katanaev's alleged theft of money from a fan community’s informal fund, he was publicly expelled from the Fratria and declared a "persona non grata" in the Red and White fan movement . As for his relationship with the VOB, in 2015 Katanaev publicly admitted that in 2007, together with the other founders of this organization (namely Maxim Korotin and Alexander "Kamancha" Shprygin), he embezzled 3 million rubles from the sale of several thousand tickets for the match "Russia - Germany ". 3 years later, in July 2018, in connection with these revelations by Katanaev, FIFA launched an investigation against Russia .
It seems that after a series of scandals, Katanaev's relations deteriorated not only with specific fan organizations, but with the fan movement in general - and this can be seen from his statements about this movement, which over time became more and more negative: if in 2015-2017 he said that the police “have become wiser, but the fans have remained as fools as they have always been ” and advised Russian football fans to “keep their mouths shut” and not give interviews to the “Western” media (who, in his opinion, sought to “denigrate Russia” before 2018 football championship ), then in 2022 he already stated that “fanaticism is deceitful and two-faced, this is a swamp ”.
However, "disillusioned" first with the ultra-right, and then with the "near-football" sphere, Katanaev easily found himself a new "niche": in the mid-2010s (despite the fact that in the 2000s, in his own words, he considered himself a pagan ) he joined the infamous “Sorok Sorokov” organization, known for its radical support for the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) and intolerance towards representatives of other religions and dissidents in general. There, Katanaev and his associates carried out "power support" of the activities of the Russian Orthodox Church . One example of such activity is the conflict around the Torfyanka park in Moscow in 2015, where he played the role of a provocateur who beat and insulted protesters (“you are demons, this is not your country ”), and his wife attacked elderly participants in the rally . By the way, this is not the only scandal with her participation: in 2022 in the Moscow region, judging by the video published on the Internet, she knocked down a married couple of motorcyclists by car (they, according to them, were badly injured, after which they “learned to walk again”), while she and her husband, Ivan Katanaev, according to the victims, initially pretended that they wanted to “hush up the conflict”, but in the end, not only did they not compensate for the damage, but they did not even apologize and stopped communicating .
In the context of the above-mentioned “pseudo-inquisitorial” activities of Katanaev, it is not surprising that then (in 2015) he expressed regrets that the ROC was allegedly “insufficiently” present in the public life of the Russian Federation (including that Russian cities allegedly “lack temples”), and in his "church loyalty" even went so far as to justify the luxury in which the leaders of the church live .
However, according to available information, after scandals such as the aforementioned conflict in the Torfyanka park, the Russian Orthodox Church decided to refuse the services of the (ex) fans, and Katanaev’s zealous “Orthodox” activities, respectively, also generally “came to naught”, and he “threw himself into business”.
However, “Kisa's” "wonderful metamorphoses" are not limited to (pseudo) religion, “near-football” and ultra-right subculture. If earlier Ivan Katanaev, as he admits, “supported Navalny”, and even at the beginning of 2014 was present at the Kyiv Maidan (at the same time, he later claimed that he allegedly ended up there “accidentally”, “on the way from Sochi to Moscow”; afterwards he publicly spread slander that the protest was allegedly “paid for”), now he is an ardent supporter of Ramzan Kadyrov, and (despite his “right-wing” statements about the “imminent death of an Islamizing Europe”) considers him “the most Russian person ”. In 2015, in an interview with journalist and blogger Yuri Dud, Ivan Katanaev stated that “Europe will soon disappear, fall apart and burst at the seams.” In the same interview, he openly declares that he supports Putin’s power, calls him a leader whom he “wants to follow”, quotes Putin’s demagogic arguments about the “truth of a Russian person”, calls odious Yarovaya and Mizulina exemplary Russian politicians, and suggests “putting many liberals in jail” - "for anti-state activities." At the same time, Katanaev highly appreciates the Russian courts and believes that they “follow the letter of the law .”

Direct participation in the aggressive and predatory war of the Russian Federation against Ukraine and in the propaganda of this war, as well as in provocative "parapolitical" activities in the interests of the Kremlin inside Russia.
First of all, as mentioned above, Ivan Katanaev, as a direct participant in the “Sorok Sorokov” movement, is guilty of provocative activities directed against dissidents - opponents of the Putin regime.
Even more "weighty" are his actions related to direct participation in the invasion of Ukraine back in 2014-15 and in propaganda and justification of the full-scale war of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, launched in February 2022.
It is known that back in September 2014, when the Russian dissidents, outraged by the aggression of the Putin regime against Ukraine, held a “Peace March” in the center of Moscow, Katanaev with the flag of the so-called “Novorossia” was in a crowd of provocateurs standing next to the event and insulting the participants . In addition, he publicly stated that, in his opinion, "Ukrainian is a degenerated Russian ".
However, it is much more important that Katanaev participated in the hostilities on the territory of the Donbass (which is confirmed by a considerable number of photographs of Katanaev with weapons in his hands, including in combat positions), and also collected funds for the purchase of equipment for militants and recruited mercenaries . According to the Ukrainian portal "Myrotvorets" (Peacemaker), he took part in the clashes in the area of Debaltseve and Bakhmut in March-April 2015, and is (or was previously) a member of the notorious Union of Donbass Volunteers .
In recent years, Ivan Katanaev rarely appears in the public space in a socio-political context, much more often - rather as a representative of "sports-related" commercial structures. At the same time, it would be wrong to say that he completely “lay low” and does not show his views in any way: for example, about 4 thousand people are his friends on the Vkontakte social network. Below are just some examples of messages that he broadcasts (by himself or by reposts) to this audience:
• "There is a lot of talk about the fact that the United States is ready to fight with Russia "to the last Ukrainian "- and they say there, and we say that - and in fact, it is true." (c) Putin. It is worth recognizing that the goals of Russia and the United States in this war completely coincide ”.
• “Why did FAN ID appear in Russia? Everything is simple. THAT THERE SHOULD NOT BE SUCH FAGGOTS ON THE STANDS AND THEY COULD NOT FEED YOUTH !” [this angry tirade is addressed to FC Torpedo fans who refused to hang anti-Ukrainian and pro-terrorist banners in their stands];
• The accompanying inscription “Evening Kyiv is as good as ever” to a completely black picture [mockery at the terrorist attacks of the Russian Federation on Ukrainian energy facilities, as a result of which lockdowns in Ukrainian cities were a frequent occurrence in the fall of 2022 ];
• “... We do not want to fight for a long time. We do not want to lose our soldiers by destroying the Ukrainian army. What to do? Hit with nuclear weapons. The accession of 4 new-old regions will legally untie all our hands .”;
• "Such an army cannot fail to win ." [about the Russian occupying army];
• “Most of all, Luhansk was lucky, of course. Moscow is a twin city and the entire Moscow construction and economic complex will now restore and develop this beautiful Russian city .”;
• “I watched and thought - today hundreds of thousands of young, strong Russian men are getting an absolutely unique experience. Not even for combat but also for life... This is for life. The inner core will be hardened to such an extent that no one on earth will break it. And it is they who will govern and guide our country in the coming decades. May God give strength and courage to everyone " [about the "partial mobilization" and military training of the Russian occupiers];
• “Today's undeniably historic speech by Vladimir Putin will be heard and read all over the world. Translated into dozens of languages. Our President is the new leader of the free world. Now it's official ." [September 30, 2022].
Taking into account Katanaev ’s obvious tendency to constant mimicry and conformism, it would be appropriate to assume that in the event of a serious change in the political situation in the Russian Federation to “less favorable” to the representatives of his current “beliefs”, he will once again change his views (or at least will pretend) and try to fit into the "new reality". This is also why it is important to remember his “past merits” and exclude the possibility of this provocateur, war criminal and propagandist avoiding the responsibility.
As of May 2023, the sanctions lists (and in this case we are talking only about Ukrainian one) only include Ivan Katanaev’s namesake, born in 1958, who held the position of “Children’s Ombudsman of the Trans-Baikal Territory” and died in April 2023 .