🕳️ Released Phantom Node 62: Yerevan Shadow Brokers. Traders of the Invisible. Architects of Evasion
- Foundation date
21 September 2025
This project is a philosophical and artistic study of the phenomenon of "phantom nodes" — invisible yet influential objects and subjects in the contemporary global system. The descriptions contained within this study are metaphorical and allegorical, aimed at uncovering systemic problems, regimes, and civilisational influences. They are not a journalistic investigation or legal accusations, but serve as an artistic interpretation of reality.
This creation is protected and cannot be used by third parties for the purpose of supporting, propagating, or legitimizing criminal regimes, terrorist states, and organizations operating in the shadows. The use of data or analysis results from this project, whether in part or in full, is expressly prohibited if the objective is to support or conceal their criminal activity.
The project may be freely used by individuals and organizations that combat evil, corruption, and aggression.
🕳️ Released Phantom Node 62: Yerevan Shadow Brokers. Traders of the Invisible. Architects of Evasion.
An ecosystem that repackages origin — and sells a new story.
Who is this?
Yerevan Shadow Brokers is a figurative construct for a fluid network of intermediaries who buy, repackage and re-document sanctioned goods to create a seemingly “clean” trail. It denotes systems and practices rather than a single firm or actor.
Type of node:
Networked trade-logistics interface.
Status:
Diffuse, embedded within layers of legitimate commerce.
Form of control:
One-off companies, multi-jurisdiction routing, crypto/cash channels, layered re-export chains.
Phantom image:
A shadow merchant wearing many passports — masks for the cargo.
What remains after the phantom:
A series of new documents, rerouted consignments and “clean” customs records.
Core of the node:
What sustained it?
Profitability of concealment, regulatory gaps in certain jurisdictions, access to rapid money channels.
How did it become a phantom?
When operations were fractioned into disposable firms and transits, real beneficiaries dropped out of visible chains.
Why does the phantom still exist?
Because demand for sanctioned goods persists and concealment remains profitable.
Phantom’s condition:
Active, mobile, resilient to standard checks.
After the regime:
Mapping networks of disposable companies;
Strengthening origin-verification procedures;
Tracking crypto and cash flows linked to trade.
Collective reaction:
We record these chains so memory and scrutiny raise the cost of shadow trade.
Transparency is what dissolves shadow networks.
Core principle:
A shadow network survives where form outweighs scrutiny.
Alt-text:
Graphite illustration: a warehouse/office with stacks of boxes and pallets; in foreground, a laptop with an open manifest, a pile of relabelled tags and papers; shadowy figures of brokers in the dim background; atmosphere of turning “dirty” goods into “clean” merchandise.
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Unmasking the Phantom. Pivtorak.Studio. 21.09.2025
🛡️ This project is an artistic and philosophical exploration. All depictions are allegorical; the piece does not allege facts about specific private individuals without corroborated evidence.
🫧Phantom Node Dossier: Yerevan Shadow Brokers. Merchants of the Invisible.
Key Aspects of the Phantom:
"Merchants of the Invisible" (or "Architects of Evasion"). This phantom node symbolizes a network of intermediaries operating in Yerevan. Their phantom essence lies in the fact that they are not tied to a single location or company, but exist as a dynamic network of contacts that provides a key function—transforming sanctioned goods into "clean" ones. They are the main link between Russian suppliers and the global market.
Regimes (which it directly shapes/supports):
💰 Regime of "Shadow Trade": They create and sustain a parallel economy that is completely outside the control of official regulators.
🤝 Regime of "Networked Intermediation": This node is based on complex, multi-layered networks of companies and individuals, making it impossible to trace the real owners and beneficiaries.
📄 Regime of "Documentary Derivation": They systematically strip goods of their original "trace" (documents, packaging) to create a new, false history.
🔗 Regime of "The Interface": They are the crucial connecting element between institutional phantoms (like customs) and external commercial networks.
Tools (which it actively uses/oversees):
📝 Shell Companies: The creation of numerous firms that exist for only one or a few operations, ensuring maximum opacity.
₿ Cryptocurrency and Informal Financial Services: The use of crypto assets and illegal "hawala" schemes to move money without a bank trail.
📈 Price Manipulation: Declaring goods at significantly undervalued or overvalued prices to avoid taxes or divert suspicion.
🗺️ Route Alteration: The use of complex logistical chains through several countries (e.g., via Turkey or the UAE) to confuse tracks.
Civilizational Influences (which it embodies/exploits):
💔 Undermining Economic Standards: Its activities destroy the ethical norms of international trade and lead to the degradation of economic systems.
👤 Blurring of Responsibility: It embodies a system where it is impossible to hold any specific individual accountable for criminal actions.
🔀 Spreading of Uncontrol: The activities of these brokers create a sense of impunity and allow for the uncontrolled spread of prohibited goods.
🤖 Dehumanization of Crime: Crime is transformed into an abstract, purely transactional act, detached from its destructive consequences.
Dissection of a Phantom Node. Pivtorak.Studio. 21.09.2025
🛡️ This project is an artistic and philosophical exploration. All depictions are allegorical; the piece does not allege facts about specific private individuals without corroborated evidence.
