When the bank notification lit up his phone, Vladimir Rychagov thought his luck had finally changed. For years, the 30-something factory worker from Khanty-Mansiysk had labored long hours in the same cold industrial complex, living modestly on a paycheck that barely stretched between bills and family needs. But this time, his screen told a different story, one that would make headlines across Russia.
Instead of the 46,954 rubles ($581) he expected as his vacation pay, Vladimir found himself staring at a massive deposit of 7,112,254 rubles, about $87,000. “It felt unreal,” he later said, recalling how his heart raced as he refreshed his banking app over and over to make sure it wasn’t a glitch.
Rumors had been swirling around the factory floor about a generous 13th salary for employees after a strong year. Could this be his moment of reward?
It didn’t take long for the dream to collapse. Within hours, calls from the accounting department started pouring in. The voice on the other end of the line was firm: the payment was a mistake, and he needed to return the money immediately. But for Vladimir, that sudden windfall wasn’t so easy to let go.
“After checking the internet, I found that if it was a technical error, it was up to me to return it, but if it was a billing error, I was obligated to return it,” he told Channel 5. “Later, I learned it was a technical error and decided I had the right to keep the money.”
According to court records, the money was never meant for him. The funds had been intended to pay 34 employees at a different branch, but a software glitch rerouted the entire payroll into Vladimir’s account. To the company, it was a clear-cut case the money had to come back. To Vladimir, it was something else: a once-in-a-lifetime accident that changed his fortune.
What started as a misunderstanding quickly turned hostile. Vladimir claimed the company’s demands soon escalated into threats, leaving him fearful and defiant. He used part of the money to buy a new car, packed up his belongings, and left town with his family for a new beginning. But freedom didn’t last long. As he drove toward his new home, the company filed a lawsuit and froze his bank accounts.
“A complaint was filed against me, alleging that I was in collusion with an accountant and committed some kind of economic fraud,” Vladimir said. The accusations were eventually dismissed for lack of evidence, but his legal troubles had only begun.
The court sided with the factory, declaring that the payment was not salary and ordering him to return the 7 million rubles. Vladimir appealed, and when that failed, he took his case all the way to the Supreme Court. He remains defiant. “My bank account received a deposit of 45,000 rubles for vacation pay for January.
And a deposit of 7,112,000 rubles for December’s salary,” he said. “December’s salary has been credited, plus there were rumors that there would be a large 13th salary, which suggested the facilities closed well.”
The company, meanwhile, has maintained silence. Roman Tudachkov, the acting CEO, simply remarked, “We won’t comment. There was no 13th salary involved; it was an erroneous transfer. We have a court order; we operate within the legal system through our legal department. His interpretation is strange, but I repeat, we will handle this through the legal system.”
Whether Vladimir Rychagov’s defiance is seen as courage or stubbornness depends on who’s telling the story. To some, he’s a man standing up against corporate power to others, a worker who let greed blind him. But for Vladimir, the money represented something deeper: a brief, thrilling taste of freedom from the grind, a chance, however mistaken to rewrite his story.
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