Russian company Sherp LLC to rebrand its all-terrain line as Arkhant
The St. Petersburg plant of the Russian maker Sherp LLC, known for its distinctive all-terrain vehicles, will transition its trademark from Sherp to Arkhant. The company itself informed socialbites.ca of the change.
“We are launching a new Arkhant brand to produce unique off-road vehicles. The same prototype conceived in St. Petersburg by Alexei Garagashyan, the Russian engineer who created the original Sherp, will now receive a fresh identity and a renewed mission,” stated the company’s official representative to socialbites.ca.
The executive noted that a family of snow and swamp vehicles will be developed under the Arkhant name, spanning familiar models and entirely new designs that have not been produced before.
In August, a new base model with an open body will debut at the Army 2022 forum, its exact name kept confidential until the official unveiling. The snow and swamp vehicle undergoing modernization for rescue teams is planned for display at the Ministry of Emergencies stand. The current lineup includes the four-wheel Sherp N and the two-section ten-wheel Sherp 10.
Separated from the Ukraine office
Historically, the renowned Sherp snow and swamp vehicles were manufactured in two locations: St. Petersburg for the Russian market and a site near Kiev for export. Early in March, socialbites.ca reported that as military events escalated in Ukraine, the founder of Sherp, Ukrainian businessman Vladimir Shkolnik, announced that patents for the brand and technical developments from the Russian division were canceled.
How did Sherp leave Russia?
The inventor behind Sherp is Russian engineer Alexei Garagashyan. He developed the core inventions, components, and overall design of the snow and swamp vehicle on the prototype he built for his travels. In communications with Ukrainian media, Shkolnik said that during one expedition in Russia he tested the car by chance and was impressed by its capabilities, which led him to propose a collaboration.
“In 2012, Ukrainian businessman Vladimir Shkolnik bought my all-terrain vehicle and offered cooperation. He suggested I relocate to Kiev. I am an inventor, not an entrepreneur, and I always wanted my developments produced in Russia, from St. Petersburg to Kiev,” Garagashyan explained in a recent interview. As part of their cooperation agreement, he granted Sherp rights to certain copyrighted developments that Sherp patented.
Subsequently Garagashyan faced legal disputes over the right to manufacture his new vehicle in Russia and to preserve his autonomy in production. “Sherp attacked — I defended. We reached settlements, and we ultimately parted ways with the Sherp off-road vehicle manufacturers.” He now plans to launch his own all-terrain vehicles at an industrial scale.
Officials in the Russian Sherp office indicated that production of off-road vehicles under the same name would continue despite the split with the former Ukrainian partner. They acknowledged that the rupture created procurement challenges for some components. A solution was found with Arkhant, which has secured alternative suppliers for several parts, including ultra-low-pressure tires previously sourced from Ukraine.
“Today we can confirm that the issue with wheel production is resolved. Tires will bear the Arkhant logo and power all-terrain vehicles produced at the St. Petersburg plant.”
Additionally, the Arkhant model will use a different powertrain from the Ukrainian version. Instead of the Japanese Kubota diesel engine with a manual transmission, the new version features an 85-horsepower 1.0-liter gasoline engine paired with a CVT. The engine’s brand origin in Sherpa, the legal entity still carrying the original name, has not been disclosed. Payload capacity remains around 1 ton, and basic vehicle weight sits near 1600 kilograms.
The Arkhant preview model appears lighter than its predecessor and is less refined in comfort. Sherp explains this is a simplified initial release, with features that can be added later if desired. In the most budget-friendly configuration, a version with rollover protection but without a hard roof is around 5 million rubles, compared with 10 million rubles for current Sherps with a sturdier superstructure. The new body will use plastic rather than aluminum.
Meanwhile, Sherp LLC stated that despite public comments by Vladimir Shkolnik about restrictions on producing Sherp snow and swamp vehicles in Russia, licenses and other bans cited by some have not been revoked. Socialbites.ca sought comment from the Sherp Ukraine office on the situation and potential actions, but no reply was received by publication time.
According to SPARK-Interfax, Ukrainian businessmen Vladimir Shkolnik and Sergey Samokhvalov owned Sherp LLC in Russia in equal shares until July 2021. Since then, Russian citizen Ekaterina Gavrina became the sole owner, with no other business interests. Current data from the Unified State Register of Legal Entities lists Eduard Pavlov as the sole founder and CEO since March 18, 2022.
Autoreview columnist Konstantin Sorokin suggests that replacing the diesel engine with a gasoline engine and a CVT in Arkhant appears to be a cautious move under sanctions, as the CVT could be less durable in rugged use. “If the company releases a lighter, cheaper version, it will likely target tourism users — probably without winter operation,” Sorokin notes. Independent analyst Sergei Burgazliev sees a base price around 5 million rubles as attractive in a market with limited competition, while acknowledging production volumes remain modest. From a technical standpoint, producing tires for Sherp seems straightforward, with specialized rubber suppliers and ongoing testing in collaboration with several firms.