On the morning of June 23, it became known that 13 tourists from Kazakhstan accidentally started a fire on the Greek island of Hydra while launching fireworks from a luxury yacht.  Orda.kz learned what is known about the ship on which the company of arsonists was vacationing.

What happened

According to The Guardian , on June 23 in Greece, 13 people appeared in court on suspicion of accidentally committing arson. The fire engulfed the only pine forest on the island of Hydra, and the cause of the fire was fireworks launched from an elite yacht on which a group of tourists were relaxing. By the time the fire was extinguished on June 22 with the help of six helicopters and two fire brigades, it had already engulfed an area of approximately 1.2 thousand hectares of forest.

“  In media reports, the passengers of the yacht were called citizens of Kazakhstan. The nationality of the ship’s crew remains unknown  ,” writes  The Guardian  .

Authorities on the island of Hydra, a popular resort among wealthy tourists, have already announced that they will demand compensation from the arson suspects. Charges of arson and environmental damage carry severe penalties: prison sentences of up to 20 years and fines of up to 200,000 euros. But tourists are not required to answer before the law; instead, the responsibility will fall on the crew of the yacht.

“On the night in question, the use of fireworks was prohibited due to strong winds. It was completely irresponsible to launch them. As a result, an absolutely beautiful pine forest was destroyed,” said the mayor of Hydra, Giorgos Koukoudakis.

Where did the arsonists rest and how much did it cost?

The prosecutor’s office demanded the confiscation of the yacht on which the suspects were vacationing, thanks to which its name became known. We are talking about the luxury pleasure boat “Persephone I” - a 54-meter yacht, the rental of which costs 299 thousand euros per week during the tourist season.

The editors of Orda.kz collected information about the Persephone and found out that this ship is very popular among lovers of a luxury holiday on the Aegean coast. Including, apparently, among the relatives of Kazakh oligarchs.

Persephone I left the shipyard in 2012. It was built by masters of the Mariotti company, one of the most famous shipbuilding companies, founded in Genoa back in 1928. It was originally called "Rachel".

Yacht "Persephone I". Screenshot of the website Nextyachting.com

In 2021, the yacht changed its owner. It was thoroughly renovated, decorated with works of art and renamed “Persephone” - in honor of the character of ancient Greek mythology. The ship is currently flying the flag of Malta.

The yacht can be rented for a week for only 250 thousand euros. Screenshot of the site Riginos.com

Persephone is called an excellent choice for sea cruises - it can travel up to five thousand nautical miles without refueling, and thanks to special anchor stabilizers it has a surprisingly smooth ride. The yacht has six cabins for 12 passengers and space for 11 crew members. You can admire the interiors of “Persephone” in the screenshots below.

“  This is a delightful yacht, ideal for exploring the Greek seas and coastlines. Beautiful sculptures by European masters exquisitely decorate its interior. “Persephone” kindly provides comfortable corners for sunbathing, dining, socializing and relaxing. The yacht has a luxurious jacuzzi and a superb cinema, not least a gym  .”

This is how “Persephone” is described on one of the sites for selecting yachts for luxury vacations, where they offer to rent it for one week for 250 thousand euros (124 million tenge in total). However, in the “high season” the rental cost can reach 300 thousand euros (about 149 million tenge).

What threatens Kazakhstani arsonists?

Foreign media, including The Guardian and BBC , report that the tourists detained for setting fire to the forest are citizens of Kazakhstan. This is also stated by Greek publications that have gained access to the case materials.

“Local media, citing court documentation, reported that 17 citizens of Kazakhstan were vacationing on the yacht, who had since left Greece. It was not possible to obtain independent confirmation of this information,”  notes the BBC.

According to an Orda.kz source, the yacht was rented by one of the influential Kazakh businessmen. So there were indeed citizens of Kazakhstan on board. However, for obvious reasons, the participants in the “party with a spark” do not advertise the fact of their vacation on a luxury yacht near the Greek coast.

The Kazakhs who were on the yacht have already left Greece, since they were not officially charged. As mentioned above, the crew of the ship, which did not intervene and did not prevent the accidental arson, will be responsible for the actions of tourists. And compensation will probably be paid by the owner of the yacht (not even the renter).

And finally, a couple of figures for reflection. We calculated how many years the average Kazakhstani with a conditional salary of 380 thousand tenge will have to work to rent the yacht "Persephone I". At the most lenient rates, an ordinary hard-working citizen will be able to afford a week of rest on board such a vessel after 27 years of selfless work.