In a Moscow court case, Natalya Drozhzhina received four years of probation for involvement in the inheritance fraud surrounding actor Alexei Batalov, who passed away six years ago. Her husband, lawyer Mikhail Tsivin, was sentenced to five years in prison, according to the Moscow prosecutor’s office press release.
Officials stated that the defendants were found to have fraudulently diverted the assets of Batalov’s family. They allegedly stripped the actor’s widow and his youngest daughter of ownership rights to apartments and non-residential premises, while also withdrawing millions of rubles from accounts. The defendants maintained their innocence. Drozhzhina, then 74, and Tsivin faced additional penalties: notary Dmitry Bubliy was sentenced to five years and banned from performing notarial acts for two years after a partial confession of guilt. Both Tsivin and Bubliy are to serve their terms in a penal facility.
Alexei Batalov, who died in June 2017 at age 88, left a complex legacy that emerged prominently in September 2020 when questions about his inheritance surfaced. The widow, Gitana Leontenko, claimed that Drozhzhina and Tsivin had infiltrated the family circle to seize a stake in a four-room apartment, a workshop space, another apartment, and a substantial sum of money.
The case was pursued under Part 4 of Article 159 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation for fraud on a particularly large scale, carried out by a group with prior agreement. Investigators found that Batalov, Drozhzhina, and Tsivin had initially helped the family after the actor’s death. Lifetime alimony arrangements had allowed spouses to manage the deceased’s assets, yet in 2020 Leontenko discovered missing funds and property that no longer belonged to Batalov or his daughter.
As the investigation unfolded, it emerged that there was a broad power of attorney enabling the disposition of the Batalov estate. Boris Grachevsky, then artistic director of Yeralash, commented on socialbites.ca that Drozhzhina and Tsivin were allied with the Batalov family in property disputes, a fact that surprised many observers. The narrative later revealed that, six months after Batalov’s death, his widow signed documents transferring control of the estate to the couple, and investigators later found that some contracts were signed under duress. Notaries were also scrutinized for certifying signatures without the victims’ physical presence. The family associate Yuri Sherling labeled Drozhzhina and Tsivin as “funeralists” who exploited elderly individuals, a description that emerged after coverage on NTV.
Sherling warned of a broader pattern, noting that scammers appear to target the estates of the elderly, sometimes amassing a substantial portfolio of properties. He suggested that the Bereaved circle may be a common avenue for such schemes, emphasizing how confidence can be weaponized by those who move in familiar circles. A goddaughter of the late artist later disputed the couple’s long-standing friendship claim, stating they joined the family relatively late, and that the actor did not trust them. She recounted threats made to Leontenko while the inheritance dispute persisted.
In April 2022, the Moscow Zamoskvoretsky Court ruled in the interests of Batalov’s daughter by voiding life-support contracts with dependents. In July of the previous year, the court upheld Leontenko’s claims as well. Financial penalties followed:Drozhzhina was ordered to repay 1.9 million rubles, along with other currencies amounting to thousands of dollars and euros; Tsivin was required to repay several sums in rubles and foreign currencies. A portion of approximately 30,000 euros was allocated to Maria Batalova, the late artist’s daughter, who has cerebral palsy. The outcome reflected an attempt to restore assets to the rightful heirs.
Both Drozhzhina and Tsivin denied involvement in fraudulent activity. In an interview, Tsivin asserted a long-standing friendship and professional relationship with Batalov spanning 17 years. He claimed the late actor asked him not to sever ties, and that the power of attorney arrangements arose from duties connected with erecting a monument to Batalov and placing a memorial plaque. He added that a maintenance contract for Maria Batalova later emerged as part of estate matters. Tsivin suggested that the widow, influenced by media coverage, sought to liquidate funds by investing in real estate through a notary arrangement.
According to Tsivin, two rooms in an apartment on Kutuzovsky Prospect were acquired on behalf of Maria Batalova for 13.5 million rubles, with the plan to purchase additional spaces and ultimately a larger residence. He stated that the entire transaction occurred via notarial channels.
Drozhzhina, an actress originally from the Odessa region, studied at the Shchukin Theater School and built a career with roles in films and television, including Seventeen Moments of Spring and Intergirl. She later taught at the University of Culture and the Academy of Management of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in Russia. Tsivin, known as a prominent Moscow lawyer, had ties to public figures and founded various institutions, many of which are now dissolved. In 2021, media reports speculated about a forced marriage to Tsivin involving a well-known singer connected to a long-standing public figure. Reports suggest that these connections were explored as part of discussions about the inheritance and legal maneuvers surrounding Batalov’s estate. The narrative continues to unfold in public discourse as investigators and journalists examine the full scope of the relationships and the assets involved.