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🧩 Activities of Pokrov International and its connections in Plzeň

• Pokrov International opened a second office in the bus station building in Plzeň, exclusively focused on Ukrainians. The office is staffed by Russian-speaking women, and the agency positions itself as a labor intermediary for refugees.
• Agencies, including Pokrov, closely cooperate with informal intermediaries who manage housing and provide other services but are not officially listed in contracts.

Pokrov International – also known as ALMAX WORK – Holding и Poleshchuk & Synové a.s. all these companies are represented by the same individuals. The main beneficiary is Oksana Poleshchuk.

🏢 Tax optimization scheme

• The company Poleščuk & Synové (a family business) attempted to:
  • Claim VAT refunds for allegedly “short-term rentals,” but the court ruled the rentals as long-term—so the benefit was denied.
  • The scheme involved: apartments being rented out from Poleščuk & Synové → Pokrov International → Almax Work Holding → to individuals, with all three companies interconnected.

🏚 Living conditions and forced labor

• The main Pokrov dormitory is located on Kreuzmannova Street and is owned by Oksana Poleshchuk, the agency’s owner.
• The building is formally modern, with bathrooms and plastic windows, owned by the Poleshchuk family — it has 20 apartments with a capacity of up to 120 people.
• Former manager Dmytro Druzhynin shared:
  • About 1,000 people passed through the dormitory in the year 2022–2023.
  • He lived there himself, had no days off, and could leave the premises only with permission from the director — Daniil Poleshchuk.
  • After dismissal, he received a bill for 78,000 CZK, despite regular deductions from his salary.
  • Wages were paid in cash, and deductions for housing and services were made without transparency.

⚖️“Contractual Slavery” — How Agencies in the Czech Republic Keep Workers Bound Under Threat of Deportation

Nikita Gorchakov, a former operator at Pokrov International, shares his story:

“When I decided to quit, they showed me a so-called ‘agreement.’ At first glance, it looked like an ordinary document, but it didn’t reference the employment contract at all. It stated an amount — 30,000 CZK. No reasons, no explanations. Simply: either you keep working for free, or you pay the money.”

According to Nikita, this document is presented to many employees who resign. The goal is to keep the worker in place under the guise of a “severance fee,” supposedly for certain services.

“Under this agreement was the signature of an individual — Marek Anderle. No employer in the Czech Republic I’ve encountered would allow such a thing. Everyone let employees go willingly, without blackmail. But here — manipulation disguised as legality. True legal slavery.”

Nikita worked at Pokrov International for 16 months. The dismissal process took another two months. According to him, the company deliberately delayed the paperwork throughout almost the entire period.

He began his encounter with Czech bureaucracy by visiting the Center for Integration Support of Foreigners (CPIC) in Plzeň. There, he presented documents—from both Pokrov and another company, Almax, with which they tried to associate him.

“It became clear to me that under the threat of deportation and dismissal, workers are forced to sign powers of attorney for employees of these companies. Also, agreements with ‘friendly’ companies that operate in tandem. I refused. But many others couldn’t withstand the pressure. Some simply left, others agreed without fully understanding what they were signing.”

💸 Financial manipulation and exploitation

• Constant offers of “under-the-table” work, also known as “fuška.”
• Fines and salary deductions were common for utilities and fabricated overcharges:
• 900 CZK/month — for a set of bed linens.
• 150 CZK for laundry, even if the person washed clothes in their room—a fine was imposed.
• Internet, TV, stove — charged as extra.
• For children, they paid half the rent but had no separate sleeping place—they slept with their parents.

Resource:.. Investigace.cz ©

The organizer of the NGO (Cizinec není otrok) (Foreigner is not a slave) provided evidence that Pokrov does not comply with either the law or basic human principles.

This company, along with other affiliated firms, exploits foreign labor by taking advantage of the “relocation shock” and workers’ lack of knowledge about labor and visa issues.

Thus, for a foreigner (unaware of their rights), this company creates psychological turmoil. This leads not only to harm to their health but also to the risk of violating the laws of the Czech Republic.

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   РАБотал там полтора года:- вечные подгоны на фушку (что не легально);- ОЧЕРЕДЬ за зарплатой, ВСМЫСЛЕ ЖИВАЯ, КАК ПРИ СОВКЕ! Естественно…