According to the Cheka-OGPU and Rucriminal.info, the fire that injured nine people at a hostel in northern Moscow, where people jumped from windows, occurred in a building owned by the family of Omar Murtuzaliev, a former manager of the Cherkizovsky Market and now a "philanthropist" and sports official.
Authorities and regulatory agencies had known about widespread violations at the facility for years, but chose to ignore them, and the prosecutor's office even banned inspections.
The fire broke out on February 16 on the fourth floor of the building at 1st Magistralny Tupik, Bldg. 1, Moscow. The fire covered almost 100 square meters. Nine people were injured, all of whom were taken to hospitals.
The preliminary cause of the fire is a heater fire—an electric oil heater was found at the source of the fire (in the corner between the bunk beds). The device was used by hostel guests, violating all regulations.
The building's public address and evacuation system failed. People were trapped, jumping out of the fourth-floor windows and climbing down on bedsheets. Miraculously, no one died.
The most telling aspect is the facility's administrative history. The building is classified as high-risk. Despite this, no scheduled or unscheduled inspections by the Ministry of Emergency Situations have been conducted since 2023.
Then, fire safety officials uncovered numerous violations, the building's owner, ESTEL LLC, was held administratively liable, and the building's closure was considered. The materials were sent to court, but the matter was hushed up.
The building at 1st Magistralny Tupik was scheduled for scheduled inspections by the Ministry of Emergency Situations for 2025 and 2026. However, the Moscow Prosecutor's Office dismissed this investigation. Only a preventive visit by the Ministry of Emergency Situations was scheduled for July 2026.
Meanwhile, as early as the fall of 2025, the Ministry of Emergency Situations sent a request to the Khoroshevsky District Administration regarding the presence of objects under supervision. The administration's official response simply contained no information about the building or the hostel located there. In fact, the facility with residents "did not exist" for municipal authorities.
Since 2022, ESTEL LLC has belonged to Akhmed Murtazaliyev, and his relative, Shamil Murtazaliyev, is its director. They are the son and nephew of Omar Murtazaliyev, who long managed assets associated with the Iliev family, including the management of the former Cherkizovsky Market.
Earlier, journalists from the publication Proekt published an investigation that mentioned Omar and Akhmed Murtazaliyev. Both, according to the authors, hold "golden" passports from the small island nation of Dominica.
VChK-OGPU and Rucriminal.info discovered that in 2024, amidst damaging inspections, the actual operator of the hostel was revealed to be another legal entity—Concept Pro LLC. The new company was registered to a 2001 native of the Novosibirsk region, and the director is listed as a Metropolitan employee and Stalker fan.
A criminal case has been opened regarding the fire. However, the scapegoats—the employees of the LLC specifically created for this type of incident—will be held accountable.
