The Evictors

Around Moscow, there’s a whole industry of so-called “black creditors” — microfinance institutions (or MFOs) that swindle and seize debtors’ homes. Ivan Golunov’s investigation for Meduza has discovered that almost 500 apartments have been seized from their owners over the past five years without so much as a court order. In fact, this scheme involves more than simply “squeezing” people from their homes. It is possibly part of a wider, international money-laundering system. Here’s Meduza special correspondent Ivan Golunov on the ins and outs of this industry. The Evictors was written by Ivan Golunov, edited by Alexey Kovalev, and translated by Kevin Rothrock. Sera Passerini and Sean Guillory did the audio narration. Audio production was by Sean Guillory. Music was by Kevin Macleon. Thanks to Maxim Trudolyubov, Ilya Lozovsky, Meduza, Max Glider and the Center for Russian, East European and Eurasian Studies at the University of Pittsburgh.