Puy du Fou, the French theme park company, continued working with a sanctioned Russian oligarch for over a year after EU restrictions were imposed, according to documents seen by the Guardian. The revelations come as the company expects planning approval within days for a £600m park in Oxfordshire, which would dramatise British history.
Continued Partnership with Sanctioned Oligarch
The company, run by the de Villiers family, had signed a term sheet with Konstantin Malofeyev on 12 July 2014 for a 50:50 venture called Puy du Fou Tsargrad. However, on 30 July 2014, the EU placed Malofeyev under sanctions for his alleged financial backing of Russia's annexation of Crimea. Puy du Fou claimed it began winding down the partnership once sanctions were imposed, but documents indicate that payments and discussions continued until at least August 2015.
Internal records show that Puy du Fou made payments to Marshall Capital (MarCap), a company managed by Malofeyev, and corresponded with his key aide, Yury Leonov, on project budgets and even 'meteorological studies' as late as July 2015. The company also discussed restructuring the venture to use Russian roubles to 'avoid probable effect of sanctions'. Michael Ruck, a sanctions expert at K&L Gates, said: 'The circumstances in this matter appear to raise questions in relation to sanctions compliance and whether the relevant restrictions would prohibit any of the ongoing activities.'
Courting Iran and China
After the Russia project collapsed, Puy du Fou turned to other autocratic regimes. In 2016, Philippe de Villiers wrote to Iran's ambassador to France expressing interest in a project showcasing 'cultural refinement and historical depth of this great civilisation'. The company said the approach came from the ambassador, but the plan was abandoned.
In China, Puy du Fou opened a temporary show in Shanghai in 2024, but internal messages revealed that senior executives complained about 'control of scripts by the government'. The company insisted that no authority ever wrote or controlled its scripts, but acknowledged that scripts required prior approval in China.
Family's Far-Right Politics
Philippe de Villiers, a former French minister, has a history of far-right politics, including opposition to Islam and LGBTQ+ rights. He founded the Mouvement pour la France party, which campaigned against new mosques and gay marriage. His worldview has influenced Puy du Fou's historical re-enactments, which critics say are skewed by traditionalist Catholic ideology.
UK Park Plans
Despite the controversies, Puy du Fou's international ambitions are flourishing. A Spanish park opened in 2021 is thriving, and the UK government and Visit Britain have backed the Oxfordshire project. Planning approval is expected within weeks, with an opening scheduled for 2029. As the company prepares to tell British history, questions remain about its own story.
