Smushkin or. Resort twists and turns

Smushkin Zakhar Davidovich is a successful Russian businessman. In 1992, he founded the Ilim Pulp Enterprise company, which since the early 2000s has occupied a leading position in the production of pulp and paper products in the Russian Federation and Europe. In addition, Smushkin owns START Development Management Company LLC, which implements commercial, residential and country real estate projects. Currently, START Development is also implementing a federal project - the satellite city of Yuzhny. Zakhar Smushkin also owns the federal network of hypermarkets with goods for repairs and household “Start”.

Biography of Zakhar Smushkin

Zakhar Smushkin was born in St. Petersburg in 1962, on January 23. He also received his secondary education in his hometown.

In 1979, Smushkin entered the Leningrad Technological Institute for a specialty, and in 1984 he entered graduate school. Now Zakhar Smushkin has a scientific degree of Candidate of Technical Sciences.

After completing his specialty training, Smushkin was assigned to the Gidrolizprom research and production association. There he served as a research assistant.

Then, in 1990, Smushkin independently got a job at the international company Technoferm-Engineering, where, as the head of the technological department, he quickly modernized production. After this, the company began to actively develop, because it was able to attract large amounts of investment.

While working at Technoferm-Engineering, Zakhar Smushkin studied the timber industry even better, and already in 1992 he decided to start his own business.

Smushkin Zakhar Davidovich opens Ilim Pulp Enterprise CJSC, a company that exported products from the pulp and paper industry. In this matter, his assistants were Boris and Mikhail Zingarevich, former classmates and colleagues of Smushkin at Technoferm. Zakhar Smushkin himself served as CEO of the new company until the restructuring of Ilim in 2007. After 2007, he became chairman of the board of directors.

Initially, Ilim was engaged exclusively in exports, but quite quickly the management decided that it was necessary to produce pulp and paper products independently.

Subsequently, the company made several major transactions, acquiring large manufacturing enterprises. Among them are the Kotlas Pulp and Paper Mill, which became part of Ilim in 1995, as well as the Bratsk and Ust-Ilimsk Timber Processing Plants, acquired in 1997 and 2002. These transactions largely determined the rapid growth of Ilim.

Despite the fact that many enterprises were merged with Ilim, management remained centralized. One of the main features of Ilim management is vertical integration. This technology was first used in Russia by Zakhar Smushkin at his enterprises.

Vertical integration allows for control over the full production cycle - from resource extraction to retail sale to the final consumer, while maintaining central unified management.

This management technology made it possible to maintain the coordinated work of a large number of enterprises, and their financial, technological equipment and production indicators showed positive dynamics.

These factors led to the fact that already in the early 2000s, Zakhar Smushkin’s company became a leader in the production of pulp and paper products in Russia, and, in addition, began to develop international markets.

In 2007, company managers decide to change the structure of Ilim, which would allow more efficient management of a large number of production enterprises that are part of it. As a result, after the restructuring, the closed joint-stock company Ilim Pulp Enterprise was transformed into the joint-stock company Ilim Group. Zakhar Smushkin, in turn, moved to the post of Chairman of the Board of Directors from the post of General Director. He currently works in this position.

In 2018, Ilim enterprises employed 17 thousand people; the company produces 75% of the pulp produced in the Russian Federation. Ilim includes 5 large production enterprises, as well as 3 representative offices in Russia. Another representative office of the company is located in China, since products manufactured for export go mainly to Asian markets.

Ilim, being the largest Russian company in the forest industry sector, carefully complies with all necessary environmental standards - Russian and global. Smushkin, as the head of the company, exercises special control over this area.

In 2017, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment presented Ilim Group with an award “for active environmental policy in the Year of Ecology.”

Since 2012, Ilim has been collaborating with the World Wildlife Fund. According to the agreement concluded between the company and the fund, Ilim does not carry out logging in unprotected areas of unique forests.

In addition, Ilim not only takes part in planned environmental activities, but also organizes them independently - each individual enterprise implements its own targeted programs.

At all enterprises, a positive balance is maintained when developing territories - trees are planted. This ensures not only the preservation, but also the increase in Russia’s forest wealth.

Other entrepreneurial activities of Zakhar Davidovich

The year 2007 was marked by several important events in the entrepreneurial career of Zakhar Smushkin.

Thus, the restructuring of the Ilim Group led to a change in the form of ownership and the transition of Smushkin from the post of general director to the post of chairman of the board of directors.

In addition, Smushkin Zakhar Davidovich opens two more companies that are in no way connected with the timber industry.

The first was a company in the retail sector - at the beginning of 2007, Zakhar Smushkin opened a hypermarket of goods for the home, everyday life and minor self-repairs “Start” in St. Petersburg. In 2018, Start is a federal network consisting of 7 branches. Branches are represented in five Russian regions - St. Petersburg, Voronezh, Chelyabinsk, Ufa and Samara.

Also in 2007, Zakhar Davidovich opened LLC Management Company START Development.

The company carries out comprehensive implementation of development projects: forms an architectural concept, attracts investments, carries out the construction of residential, commercial and infrastructure facilities. "START Development" also carries out procedures accompanying the implementation of construction projects: prepares the necessary urban planning documentation, creates land banks, develops concepts for territorial development, and monitors the stages of project implementation.

At the moment, the START Development land bank contains about 40 million square meters. meters. The company has already implemented several commercial and residential real estate projects. Among them are projects for preparing sites for dacha construction in the Pushkinsky and Gatchina districts of St. Petersburg, as well as the “Golden Keys” and “Tayberry” cottage villages.

Among the commercial real estate projects implemented by Smushkin’s company, one can note the Donny Verevo industrial park. It is located in the north of St. Petersburg, in the Gatchina district. On an area of ​​185 hectares, about 30 enterprises will be located, specializing in production and logistics.

Zakhar Smushkin’s company is a member of the Russian-German Chamber of Commerce, the Russian Guild of Managers and Developers and the St. Petersburg Chamber of Commerce and Industry. In addition, the company has 11 awards, including the award for the best management company of the year, the best low-rise development project, the best cottage community and the best low-rise construction project in the Leningrad Region. Also, START Development LLC was awarded a nomination for providing assistance to children.

The largest and most famous project currently being implemented by Zakhar Smushkin’s company is the construction of the satellite city Yuzhny in the Pushkinsky district of St. Petersburg. It is of federal importance, as it will be the largest planned development project in the Russian Federation. In addition, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev signed a decree according to which a scientific innovation cluster will be created in the city.

The total area of ​​Yuzhny exceeds 2000 hectares, it will be located along the Kyiv highway, on both sides. More than 176 billion rubles have already been invested in the project; the implementation period will be 20 years.

Another feature of Yuzhny is innovative design. When drawing up the concept of the city, experts were guided by the principles of so-called “green development”. The principles assume minimal harm to nature with the most effective integration of infrastructure into it and, as a result, comfort for residents. Smart city projects have been implemented abroad for 20 years; Yuzhny will be the first such project in Russia.

The city's population will be 170 thousand people, the area of ​​residential buildings will be 4.9 million square meters. m. The cost of the apartments is designed for the middle class budget. All the necessary infrastructure will be created for future residents of Yuzhny: kindergartens, schools, general medical centers, as well as green areas and bicycle paths.

The commercial construction area will be 1.5 million square meters. m., this will provide jobs for 21 thousand people.

In order for residents to quickly get to St. Petersburg, the number of lanes on the Kievskoye Highway will be expanded. In addition, there are several train stations within the city. Pulkovo International Airport is 7 minutes away by car.

Construction will be carried out by one investor. According to Zakhar Smushkin, this will allow maintaining a single architectural style. Leading world experts were involved in its development.

By decree of Dmitry Medvedev, an innovation cluster “Innocity of Science and Technology” will be created on the territory of the city on the basis of the Research University of Technology, Mechanics and Optics.

The cluster will occupy an area of ​​100 hectares, which will accommodate 4 thousand students and 3 thousand ITMO employees on campus. In addition, research centers, laboratories and production departments will be located on the territory of the cluster.

The cluster specializes in quantum, information, biomedical technologies, cyber-physical systems, photonics, robotics, as well as research, creation and testing of technologies in the field of town planning and urbanism.

According to the Governor of St. Petersburg, Georgy Poltavchenko, Innograd will be able to unite the efforts of city and federal authorities, as well as figures in the fields of business, education, science, and information technology.

Investments in Innograd amounted to 41 billion rubles, of which 35% were provided by private investors, including Zakhar Davidovich Smushkin.

Minister of Telecom and Mass Communications Nikolai Nikiforov notes that Innograd can become the best innovation center in the Russian Federation. In addition, he stated that annual federal funding for Innograd will amount to 1 billion rubles.

Achievements and personal life of Zakhar Smushkina

Smushkin Zakhar Davidovich is a successful businessman, industrialist and developer. The pulp and paper company Ilim, founded by him more than 20 years ago, occupies a leading position in production not only in Russia, but also in Europe. The company's success is explained by competent management and timely implementation of innovative technologies in the areas of management and production. Thanks to this, Ilim demonstrates positive performance even during periods of fluctuations in the global economy. In addition, the company complies with all necessary environmental standards, which is especially important given the scale of its activities.

Zakhar Smushkin has proven himself to be a competent entrepreneur in areas not related to the timber industry. Its management company, START Development, is engaged in the implementation of projects of federal significance, and the Start hypermarket chain operates in five different regions of Russia.

Newspapers and Internet portals have repeatedly assigned Smushkin significant places in their ratings.

Thus, according to the General Director magazine, Zakhar Smushkin entered the top businessmen who changed the economy of the Russian Federation. He is also among the three most influential businessmen in St. Petersburg, compiled by the publication "City 812".

Smushkin is also an active participant in discussions on topics that affect his areas of activity. He participated in the International Forum on urban planning issues, which is held in St. Petersburg. Smushkin is a member of the Forestry Development Council and the Expert Council for Economic Development and Investment in the Northwestern Federal District.

Zakhar Smushkin was awarded the status of honorary professor at the Technological University of Plant Polymers and the Forestry University named after. Kirov. At these higher educational institutions, Smushkin gives lectures in which he talks about the specifics of the forestry industry and shares with students his experience in enterprise management. It also provides internship opportunities for fourth-year students at Ilim-affiliated enterprises. At the same time, Smushkin has a scientific degree - he graduated from the Leningrad Technological Institute as a candidate of technical sciences.

Zakhar Smushkin is also interested in collecting art. Thus, in 2016, he presented his collection of Japanese art from the Meiji era at the Hermitage. The exhibition included more than 700 exhibits, all of which Smushkin collected at various auctions over the course of seven years.

In an interview with one of the St. Petersburg publications, Smushkin shared his idea of ​​​​creating a museum of modern art, where businessmen could exhibit exhibits from their private collections.

The press knows little about the personal life of Zakhar Smushkin, since the Smushkin family leads a modest lifestyle and does not shock the public. Zakhar Davidovich has a wife and son.

Smushkin has several hobbies, such as tennis and chess.

Chairman of the Board of Directors of Ilim Pulp Enterprise

Was born: in 1962 in Leningrad

Education: Leningrad State Technological Institute of Pulp and Paper Industry

Summary: In the distant past, he escaped punishment for the murder of a young girl - his brother was convicted for this. Subsequently, he and his partners were associated with the physical elimination of competitors, as well as with the use of cunning schemes to divert profits. Now he is busy with the profitable project of building a satellite city of St. Petersburg, which is actively supported and financed by the government.

Biography:

After completing his postgraduate studies, he worked as a researcher at the NPO Giprolesprom.

Since 1990 - head of the technical department of the Soviet-Swedish joint venture "Technoferm-Engineering".

In 1992-2001 - General Director of OJSC Ilim Group.

In 1996-1998 - member of the Supervisory Board of VTB Bank.

Since 1997 - member of the Board of Directors of OJSC Ust-Ilimsk Timber Industry Concern.

Since 1997 - Chairman of the Board of Directors of OJSC Kotlas Pulp and Paper Mill.

Since 1997 - member of the Board of Directors of OJSC Bratsk Forestry Plant.

Since January 2001 - Chairman of the Board of Directors of OJSC Ilim Group.

Since April 11, 2001 - member of the Expert Council on Economic Development and Investment under the Plenipotentiary Representative of the President of the Russian Federation in the Northwestern Federal District.

In 2004 - elected as a member of the Bureau of the Board of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs.

Since July 2007 - Chairman of the Board of Directors of OJSC Ilim Group.

Source: tadviser.ru

Dossier:

Smushkin’s career began when in 1990 the Soviet-American enterprise Technoferm-Engineering decided to recruit employees and came to the NPO Gidrolizprom, where he then worked, for this purpose. He was made head of the technical department of a joint venture, which is how he got into the pulp and paper industry. After a while, together with his comrades, he created Ilim Pulp Enterprise CJSC.

Source: Kompromat.ru from 03/19/2002

Boris and Mikhail Zingarevich, who became Smushkin’s main business partners, first worked as mechanics at the Leningrad cardboard factory.

At first, their company was engaged in the export of paper products, but soon the partners realized that they could not earn much from small trade, and turned their attention to the forest. Then logging enterprises could be purchased almost for nothing, and in a few years their holding acquired the ownership of about 30 logging enterprises, including the largest pulp and paper mills in Europe, timber processing complexes, the Kommunar paper mill, a cardboard printing plant in St. Petersburg and a lot others.

During the time when the timber industry enterprises were transferred to Smushkin one after another, a number of contract killings were committed. So, in the spring of 1999, a bomb exploded near the house of the head of the Arkhangelsk Pulp and Paper Mill, Vladimir Krupchak. Soon, the head of Solombala LDK OJSC, Evgeny Drachev, was kidnapped, and the general director of the timber industry department of the regional administration, Alexander Bulatov, was beaten.

In March 2000, the general director of Orimi Concern CJSC, Dmitry Varvarin, thus eliminated the only real competitor, Ilim Pulpa. Varvarin owned part of the shares of Ilim, and he forced his partners to finance the election campaign of Yuri Boldyrev, which they really did not want. All these reasons together could lead to a desire to eliminate a competitor known for his harsh business practices.

Following Varvarin, another founder of Orimi, Sergei Krizhan, was killed. This time, the leaders of Ilim were even under suspicion from the investigation. But then these people were removed from the investigation for unclear reasons, and this story was forgotten.

The crimes didn't end there. An attack followed on Vladimir Malkov, director of a lumber export company, who set fire to the Polina Hotel, owned by Krupchak. An attempt was made on the external manager of LDK-4 Dmitry Belyaev.

In September 2001, Vyacheslav Kalyamin, a member of the Federation Council of the Russian Federation, seemingly accidentally died in a car accident. Having driven into the oncoming lane, he was hit by a truck. As it turned out, the truck was on the balance sheet of one of the structures associated with the Kotlas Pulp and Paper Mill. It is known that Kalyamin has been in conflict with Ilim Pulp since 1998. He applied to the Accounts Chamber with a request to check the conditions for the privatization of the Kotlas Pulp and Paper Mill, and the violations he alleged were then confirmed. It is also noteworthy that one of the people who investigated the death of Kalyamin left law enforcement agencies for the security service of the Kotlas pulp and paper mill.

Source: Kompromat.ru from 02/26/2003

In 1998, Smushkin's brother Fedor was convicted in New York federal court for the murder of minor Angela Crisp and sentenced to 260 years in prison. Smushkin himself was also initially involved in the case as a suspect. According to investigators, in 1996 he came to his brother in the United States. They drank together and then ordered pizza, which was delivered to them by a girl named Angela Crisp. She was beaten, raped, and then strangled. Soon after this, Fyodor Smushkin was arrested. At first he blamed everything on his brother, but then he abruptly changed his mind - the investigation was convinced that Zakhar Smushkin was allegedly sleeping in another room during the murder. After Fedor so suddenly changed his testimony, all charges against Zakhar were dropped, and the wife and child of his brother Fedor moved to expensive apartments in New York. Later, journalists learned that Fedor suffered from impotence, which means he could not rape Angela Crisp.

Source: "Arkhangelsk News" from 10/20/1998

Smushkin came up with a cunning scheme for Ilim Pulp to get rid of the debt-bearing part of the business and receive only profit. The company owned the Bratskcomplexholding enterprise, and all unprofitable production was concentrated on it, and all profitable production was transferred to OJSC Pulp and Cardboard Mill. When the transfer operations were completed, it was sold to companies associated with Ilim Pulp at a low price. The property of the Ilim Pulp company itself was mortgaged several times in different banks.

Other machinations of Smushkin concerned the modernization of the Kotlas pulp and paper mill. Formally, investments in the enterprise were to be made by Ilim Pulp, but in reality, funds from the plant itself were used.

All these actions significantly damaged the image of the Ilim Pulp company, so Smushkin was forced to hire a special person to organize a campaign in the press. It was Svyatoslav Bychkov, whose imagination, however, was only enough to pay the editors so that they would not publish negative things about the company for some time.

Source: Kompromat.ru from 06/18/2002

Bychkov prepared deliberately deceptive press releases in which Ilim Pulp was presented as a completely Russian company, despite the fact that it actually belonged to the Swiss Intertsez. They also talked about non-existent investments - in fact, all profits were sent to Swiss accounts. Smushkin was generally distinguished by greed - he paid his workers 2-3 times less than at other enterprises in the industry, citing low prices for cellulose on the world market.

Source: Kompromat.ru from 07/31/2002

In 2001, Ilim Pulp came into the sphere of interests of Oleg Deripaska, who became interested in the timber industry. His company Siberian Aluminum, which was part of Basic Element, set out to absorb Smushkin’s enterprises. The attack began from the Bratsk Timber Industry Complex (BLPC).

At that time, Ilim Pulp's legal director was Dmitry Medvedev, the future prime minister and president of Russia. Since 1998, he also became a member of the board of directors of BLPK. Medvedev noticed that Smushkin and Zingarevich were withdrawing assets from BLPK and redirecting them to the Central Control Commission to sell shares, and their relations became strained because of this. They even tried to accuse him of organizing the withdrawal of assets himself. But this could not be done, and in 1999 Medvedev completely broke off relations with business partners.

Deripaska persuaded the shareholders of BLPK to go to court to find out whether the shares of TsKK were really put up for sale. The court ensured that Ilim Pulp returned its assets, but Deripaska still did not get BLPK.

Source: Kompromat.ru from 02/13/2002

But in 2002, two minority shareholders of the Kotlas Pulp and Paper Mill and the Bratsk Forestry Plant went to court to recover damages as a result of the violation of their rights as shareholders, and won the claim. As a result, KPPK and LPC were arrested and then acquired in favor of Basic Element. Ilim Pulp tried to resist the takeover through complaints against court decisions, and challenged the seizure of shares in two enterprises.

Source: "Mergers and Acquisitions" from 5-6.2003

In 2003, as a result of searches in the Ilim Pulp office, documents were found confirming the transfer of profits abroad and the concealment of income. In addition, investigators found lists of names of people who worked in law enforcement agencies and helped the company, with the amounts of their fees.

Source: Kompromat.ru: from 08/20/2003

It was established that the Kotlas Pulp and Paper Mill came under the control of Ilim Pulp illegally. The results of the investment competition were declared invalid, but the new owner did not want to leave the company.

Family

About the personal life of a businessman Zahara Smushkina not much is known.

His wife and adult son are not public people. The media only report that the Smushkin family values ​​intellectual and sports leisure - chess, tennis, collecting art.

Biography and business

While still in school, Zakhar Smushkin decided to connect his future with forestry activities and entered the Leningrad Institute of Pulp and Paper Industry.

At the university, Smushkin showed himself to be a promising student, and in 1984 he received recommendations for graduate study. As a result of defending his candidate's dissertation, Smushkin was awarded the degree of Candidate of Sciences.

Zakhar Smushkin began his career in the scientific and production association "Gidrolizprom" as a research assistant, where, according to his own recollections, he gained the experience necessary for the effective development of the subordinate structures of the enterprise.

In 1990, the career step for Smushkin was the transition to the Tekhnoferm-Engineering company to the position of head of the technical department. The new employee soon achieved significant influence in matters of enterprise management and began to modernize production processes and search for new partners and investors.

The company became crowded within the joint venture, management decided to restructure and enlarge.

On April 30, 1992, Ilim Pulp Enterprise CJSC was created. The founders of the new company, along with Technoferm-Engineering, were the Ust-Ilimsk timber industry complex and the Swiss transnational concern Intertsez. Zakhar Smushkin became the general director of the newly formed joint-stock company.

At the beginning of its existence, Ilim was a small company exporting cellulose abroad, but rather quickly reoriented itself from trade directly to timber production.

Smushkin was involved in the development of the Ilim company for about ten years. During this time, the company became the owner of three dozen initially disoriented and bloodless plants.

The largest of them are the Kotlas Pulp and Paper Mill and the Ust-Ilimsk Timber Processing Plant, purchased in 1994 and 2000, respectively. The company has been persistently pursuing their acquisition for more than one year.

In addition, Smushkin’s company bought a dominant stake in the Bratsk Timber Industry Complex, which became one of the most efficient enterprises of the holding.

In a fairly short period of time, thanks to the management skills of Zakhar Smushkin, an industry that was in deep stagnation was literally pieced together. In many respects, the restoration of the economy of the North-West region of the Russian Federation and the timber industry as a whole is due to the effective functioning of Ilim.

In 2001, Zakhar Smushkin became the head of the board of directors of the Ilim holding. The businessman increased his authority in the market, maintaining not only the previous volumes of activity, but also ensuring profit growth.

In 2007, OJSC Ilim Group appeared on the international market. International Paper, a transcontinental giant in the field of logging and production of pulp and related products, decided to invest in the renewal of the holding.

Cooperation with a large American company imposed additional obligations on the holding in the field of compliance with the requirements of legislation not only of the Russian Federation, but also of the United States, which was reflected in the tightening of Ilim’s internal audit. At the same time, Smushkin retained the post of Chairman of the Board of Directors, continuing to this day to manage the strategic development of Ilim Group.

At the end of 2016, the Ilim Group is the most influential conglomerate in Russia and European countries, sixth in the list of global producers and harvesters of forest resources.

Ilim has the largest fleet of modern logging equipment in Russia, thanks to which over 10 million cubic meters are produced per year on an area of ​​30 thousand hectares. m of wood raw materials. He owns three-quarters of the pulp produced in our country, a fifth of the cardboard market and a tenth of the Russian paper market.

Based in St. Petersburg, Zakhar Smushkin’s group has representative offices in Moscow, Arkhangelsk and Irkutsk, as well as branches in cities and towns close to the places of procurement and production (Koryazhma, Bratsk, Ust-Ilimsk, etc.).

In light of the events that led to the formation of the Ilim Group in 2007, Zakhar Smushkin decided to invest his own funds in creating a network of retail enterprises. In 2006, several do-it-yourself format stores called “Start” opened in St. Petersburg, representing goods for repair and improvement.

Today the network has been reformatted and includes Domovoy home goods stores and several Start hypermarkets, offering everything for repairs and construction. All of them are located in the largest cities of Russia.

The year 2007 was marked by the appearance on the market of Start Development OJSC, which today is one of the leaders in the construction market of the North-Western District. Today, "Start Development" is developing an unprecedented project - the construction of the satellite city "Yuzhny" in the Pushkinsky district of the Leningrad region.

Today, Smushkin announces attracting investments in the amount of more than 209 billion rubles. For the purposes of implementing the project, more than 2,012 hectares were purchased on both sides along the M20 highway (Kyiv highway). In 2011, the project was given strategic status. For Russia, "Yuzhny" will become one of the largest projects for the integrated development of the territory. The total area of ​​residential real estate will be 4.9 million square meters. m., which is designed for at least 170 thousand people, commercial real estate with an area of ​​1.5 million sq. m. m. is designed to create more than 60 thousand jobs. Residents will be provided with recreational areas and all the necessary infrastructure - 60 kindergartens, 30 schools, 10 medical centers. "Yuzhny" will be represented by low-rise buildings with housing designed for average income. The total duration of the project, essentially building a city from scratch, is only 19 years.

In his public speeches, Zakhar Davidovich Smushkin has repeatedly noted that a polycentric path of economic development, that is, the presence of several economic centers, is very important for St. Petersburg. And the goal of implementing the Yuzhny satellite city project is precisely the formation of a new center of the city’s agglomeration.

Already at the first stage of the project, Zakhar Davidovich provided the area for the construction of one company, and not the pool, as previously assumed. Such measures will ensure not only careful control, but also the unity of the architecture of the buildings being erected.

This project is unique in its kind. According to the plan, the infrastructure in Yuzhny will be integrated into the environment - for example, municipal transport will run on electricity (so-called electric cars), and lighting of street crossings will be provided by solar panels. Several applications will be created for residents, with which they can find the nearest stop, track public transport routes, make an appointment with a doctor or maintain a medical record.

“Yuzhny” is also intended to become a kind of silicon valley, since it will host the construction of the innovation center “Innograd of Science and Technology” on the basis of ITMO (St. Petersburg National Research University of Information Technologies, Mechanics and Optics). Its main goal is the creation, localization and development of international research, production and educational clusters. Innograd's target specialization will be photonics, quantum technologies, robotics, and the creation of new technological materials.

The construction of an entire city also poses the task of solving the transport issue. Already at this stage, the Kiev highway has been reconstructed to six lanes, and an interchange has been built on the project territory. A light rail line will be installed in the closest satellite city. In addition, the proximity of Yuzhny to several transport highways (M11, M10, Ring Road) and the presence of a railway line and two stations on its territory will allow residents to get to the center of St. Petersburg in 30 minutes.

In general, the implementation of the project will be able to attract investment in many industries, including logistics, trade, production of building materials, and consumer services, thus increasing the investment attractiveness of St. Petersburg.

Another large project owned by the Start Development company is Doni-Verevo, an industrial park in the Gatchina district of St. Petersburg. The area of ​​185 hectares will house more than 30 logistics and manufacturing enterprises.

It is known that the timber merchant is engaged in charity work without showing off this activity. According to rumors, Zakhar Smushkin takes the problems of people with disabilities to heart. “The Ilim Group creates jobs for them, and in the Domovoy and Start networks, disabled people enjoy support, both technically and socially.

Zakhar Smushkin’s personal initiative was to prevent staff reductions even in the current difficult period, caused by tense relations with the EU countries and demonstrating a serious drop in export volumes.

Politics, social activities

In 1999, Zakhar Smushkin became a member of the State Expert Council for Economic Development and Investment under the Plenipotentiary Representative of the President of the Russian Federation in the Northwestern Federal District.

Zakhar Smushkin is a member of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs, where he shares his experience in creating effective strategic plans for production development.

On December 16, Zakhar Davidovich made a report at a meeting of the Presidium of the Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs of St. Petersburg. He noted the importance of attracting highly qualified personnel to the northern capital, and also raised the issue of intensifying investment attraction for the implementation of the city’s socio-economic development strategy for the period until 2030.

The specifics of the timber industry are reflected in Smushkin’s activities in the presidium of the Confederation of Timber Industry of the North-Western District of Russia.

The biography of Zakhar Smushkin also includes active educational activities. He is an honorary professor at the State Technological University of Plant Polymers in St. Petersburg.

St. Petersburg State Forestry University named after S.M. Kirov awarded Zakhar Smushkin an honorary doctorate.

Smushkin cooperates quite actively with educational institutions: he gives lectures and helps senior students during practical training - providing them with jobs in companies of the Ilim group.

One of Ilim's priorities is maintaining a positive balance in planting and cutting down forests. Zakhar Davidovich, as a member of the forestry complex development council, actively contributes to its activities, making recommendations for improving and developing the state of the forest wealth of the Russian Federation.

At the second International Spatial Development Forum, held on September 26-27 in St. Petersburg, Smushkin voiced his own concept of economic development of the northern capital - polycentrism. In his opinion, not one economic center is developing in the city, but at least two. They will be the business public complex "Lakhta-Center" in the Primorsky district and the satellite city "Yuzhny" in Pushkinskoye (north and south of the Leningrad region).

Income

In the list of the wealthiest St. Petersburg residents, Smushkin occupies sixth position; the publication “Business Petersburg” estimates his income at 108 billion rubles.

In Russia, Zakhar Davidovich Smushkin ranks 37th in the ranking of successful businessmen, 52nd place is assigned to him in terms of capital.

Gossip

In 1996, Zakhar Smushkin joined the VTB Supervisory Board, on which he served until 1998. Participation in the work of the council brought dividends, in particular in the form of expanded opportunities to resolve the financial and economic issues of one’s own enterprise, which led to even greater progress for Ilim Pulp Enterprise.

Experts linked the success of the Ilim Group with the principles of reverse vertical integration of the enterprise’s development. The strategic decisions of Zakhar Smushkin still give Ilim business trump cards that have allowed it to remain among the leading players in the economic arena for more than 20 years.

As part of cooperation with WWF, the Ilim Group signed an agreement to suspend logging activities in a limited territory of the Arkhangelsk region, which is a unique, practically undisturbed biogeocenosis. Since this territory is not protected at the legislative level, the company entered into a lease agreement with a moratorium on logging on a charitable basis.

In 2016, the businessman exhibited at the Hermitage an extensive collection of decorative and applied art by Japanese masters of the Meiji era. He collected it on his own over the course of 7 years, and currently the collection contains more than 700 exhibits. In addition, in the future Smushkin plans to transfer it to a permanent exhibition in the museum of the satellite city of Yuzhny. The businessman plans to create a contemporary art gallery in the northern capital, the collection of which could also include private collections of entrepreneurs.

After graduating from the institute, he worked at the specialized research institute "VNIIgidroliz".

Zakhar Smushkin, together with the Zingarevich brothers, founded Ilim Pulp Enterprise CJSC in 1992, which first worked as an exporter of pulp and paper products, and then became a large manufacturer.

Until 2001 - General Director, and from 2001 to 2007 - Chairman of the Board of Directors of Ilim Pulp Enterprise CJSC. He led the creation of Russia's largest vertically integrated forestry corporation.

In 2006, half of the company was sold to the American International Paper. Using the proceeds from the sale of Ilim, Zakhar Smushkin began to develop the Start chain of DIY stores, which was then reformatted into the Domovoy chain. In addition, in 2007, Smushkin founded the Start Development company, which later became one of the largest land-owning companies in the North-West.

Since July 2007 - Chairman of the Board of Directors of OJSC Ilim Group.

Member of the Bureau of the Board of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs (RSPP), Chairman of the RSPP Commission on Forestry and the Timber Industry Complex, member of the Council for the Development of the Forestry Complex of the Russian Federation under the Government of the Russian Federation. Honorary Professor of the St. Petersburg State Technological University of Plant Polymers, Honorary Doctor of the St. Petersburg State Forestry University named after S.M. Kirov.

In 2010, a project was announced to build a satellite city "Yuzhny", which will be located on the border of St. Petersburg and the Leningrad region on both sides of the Kyiv highway. For these purposes, Start Development acquired a plot of 2012 hectares back in 2009. It is expected that 4.3 million m2 of housing will be built in Yuzhny. Moreover, in the summer the first three developers of Yuzhny were already selected. By 2028, the volume of investments in the project should amount to 180 billion rubles.

He took 4th place in the "DP Billionaires Rating - 2015". The fortune was estimated at 105 billion rubles. Main assets: Ilim Group (21%), Start Development, Domovoy chain of stores.

He took 6th place in the "DP Billionaires Rating - 2016". The fortune was estimated at 108 billion rubles. Main assets: Ilim Group, Start Development, Domovoy chain of stores.

He took 7th place in the "DP Billionaires Rating - 2017". The fortune was estimated at 90.7 billion rubles. Main assets: Ilim Group, Start Development, Domovoy chain of stores.

Zakhar Davidovich Smushkin, head of the construction company Start Development, began implementing the first stage of the “smart” satellite city project “Yuzhny”, which will be built in the Pushkinsky district of the Leningrad region.

As it became known in the summer of 2016, the first stage of development with an area of ​​200 hectares will not be sold in small areas to a pool of developers. Instead, Start Development will choose only one company as the buyer.

According to Zakhar Smushkin’s plan, the selected developer will have to build real estate on this site with a total area of ​​about 1 million square meters. m. for 5 years. At the same time, he will be able to pay for the transaction in installments: first, at his own expense, he will equip the necessary infrastructure, and the rest will be able to be paid during the sale of the residential real estate he has built. In St. Petersburg, this transaction will be the largest in the last few years.

The choice in favor of this method of implementing project stages is due to several reasons. Firstly, it is much easier to agree on the development concept, architecture, and sales strategy with one developer. And secondly, the territory acquired by a large developer makes the neighboring plots more attractive, and, as a result, their price increases.

The project of Zakhar Smushkin - the satellite city "Yuzhny" - should become one of the major economic centers in the Leningrad region. It is worth citing some data to assess the scale: a plot of land was purchased for construction on both sides of the M20 highway - Kievskoe highway, the total area is 2012 hectares; the total area of ​​residential real estate is 4.9 million sq. m. m., it is designed for at least 170 thousand people; the construction of at least 60 pre-school educational institutions, 30 schools, 10 medical centers for the whole family is envisaged; the total area of ​​commercial and industrial real estate is 1.5 million square meters. m., it is designed to create more than 60 thousand jobs; the total investment amounted to 209 billion rubles; The total duration of the project is 19 years.

This project compares favorably with many others being implemented in large cities because of its concept: according to the idea, the city will be low-rise, its space will be comfortably integrated into the environment, and housing will be priced at the middle class level. The population density will be at least half that of the northern capital.

As Zakhar Smushkin noted, when drawing up urban planning policies, one must always remember not only the organization of residential areas, but also infrastructure and jobs. The Yuzhny project has about a thousand hectares, that is, almost half is allocated for the location of an innovative production cluster, a campus at ITMO, and recreational areas.

The “Innograd of Science and Technology” at the St. Petersburg National Research University of Information Technologies, Mechanics and Optics (ITMO) will become a kind of “silicon valley” in miniature: all stages of the production process of innovative products will be carried out there.

The main feature of this project is the extensive introduction of innovations in the organization of living space - part of the electricity will be generated by solar panels, and municipal transport will be electric buses, whose arrival can be tracked using mobile applications.

The construction of an entire city near the northern capital cannot do without the development of infrastructure and transport networks. This aspect is also included in the implementation of the project.

Biography of Zakhar Smushkin

Zakhar Smushkin is one of the most successful businessmen in Russia.

He is primarily known as the founder and chairman of the board of directors of the Ilim pulp and paper concern, the largest not only in the Russian Federation, but also in Europe.

Born in St. Petersburg on January 23, 1962. He received his secondary education here. From childhood, Smushkin was distinguished by his enthusiasm, perseverance, and patience. He studied diligently at school and did not create problems for his parents.

Zakhar Davidovich also decided to continue his education in his hometown; he entered the Leningrad Institute of Pulp and Paper Industry. This period shaped Smushkin’s idea of ​​the field in which he would carry out his activities after graduating from university. Having become seriously interested in his specialty, in 1984 Smushkin took another important step in mastering the profession - he entered the master's program. Zakhar Davidovich successfully combines writing his PhD thesis with work in his specialty - as a researcher at the NPO "Gidrolizprom".

After defending his PhD, Zakhar Smushkin, having extensive knowledge of the specialty and work experience, easily receives the position of head of the technical department at the international enterprise Technoferm-Engineering. Thanks to the professionalism of the young specialist, the company manages to attract investment and subsequently modernize production technologies.

In 1992, having secured the support of the management of Technoferm-Engineering and colleagues, the Zingarevich brothers, Zakhar Smushkin formed the organization ZAO Ilim Pulp Enterprise, where he served as general director from its establishment until 2001. And from 2001 to 2007 - the post of chairman of the board of directors.

In parallel with this, from 1996 to 1998, Zakhar Smushkin was on the supervisory board of Vneshtorgbank (VTB), which allowed him to deepen his knowledge in the field of economics and finance, and since 2001 he has been a member of the Expert Council on Economic Development and Investments at Plenipotentiary Representative of the President of the Russian Federation in the Northwestern Federal District.

Initially, the organization was created as an exporter of cellulose in small volumes, but having quickly managed to accumulate capital from this activity, it switched entirely directly to the forestry industry. Ilim begins to actively integrate industry enterprises into its structure; during the first few years of operation, it acquires more than 30 logging enterprises. Among them, two of the largest can be noted: the Kotlas pulp and paper mill (acquired in 1994) and the Ust-Ilimsk timber processing complex (acquired in 2000).

Zakhar Davidovich Smushkin, as the general director of the Ilim group of companies, did the almost incredible: in the conditions of a stagnating economy against the backdrop of the collapse of the USSR, he united more than 30 enterprises into the largest paper industry concern in the Russian Federation. By doing this, he literally saved the industry itself, creating positive dynamics in the financial and technical performance indicators of enterprises; saved many jobs, and also gave a new round of development to the economy of the entire Russian North-Western District. By 2001, Ilim was already actively operating in European markets.

Zakhar Smushkin is not only a specialist in his field, a talented businessman and an effective manager, but also an innovator: for the first time in Russia, it was he who used vertical integration technology, which allows for more efficient management of both a large number of enterprises themselves and the business processes occurring in them .

In 2007, the Ilim holding was restructured into the Ilim Group open joint-stock company in order to increase operational efficiency. At the company, Zakhar Davidovich also currently holds the position of Chairman of the Board of Directors. Thanks to restructuring, the company, despite the crisis that hit the global economy in 2008, was able to maintain positive growth rates in technical and financial indicators.

At the moment, OJSC Ilim Group of Companies is the largest company in the forestry and pulp and paper industries not only in Russia, but also in Europe. Here are just some statistical indicators that allow us to assess the scale of its work:

Every year the company harvests raw wood in a volume of more than 10 million cubic meters.

The company's share in pulp, boxboard and paper produced in Russia is 75, 77 and 10%, respectively.

But Ilim is not limited to providing only the domestic market. Thus, by exporting bleached softwood and hardwood pulp to the People's Republic of China, the company covers one third of the country's one and a half billion population needs for this product.

As we can see from the statistics above, the group of companies has an unprecedented scale of production. In such conditions, it is especially important to comply with all prescribed environmental standards. Zakhar Davidovich, as head of Ilim, copes well with this task: the company has strict control over compliance with all necessary environmental standards. In addition to the obligatory part of his work in this area, Smushkin also carries out activities on his own initiative: he has membership in the Council for the Development of the Forestry Complex under the Government of the Russian Federation and makes recommendations for the improvement and development of the country’s forest wealth. In addition, Ilim provides all possible assistance in the implementation of environmental protection measures, both at the state and international levels. In general, control over compliance with environmental standards is carried out not only within the framework of obligations - by government organizations or the enterprise itself, but also by ordinary citizens: volunteers, employees of non-governmental institutions, simply concerned citizens, as well as students of schools and higher educational institutions are often involved in its implementation. One of the main vectors of Ilim’s work in the field of ecology is a positive balance of planting and cutting down forests, i.e. their growth. As already noted, Ilim also assists international organizations in the area of ​​environmental protection. For example, in 2012, a group of companies began to cooperate with WWF. On the initiative of Zakhar Davidovich, the Verkhnevashkinsky forest area in the Arkhangelsk region is under the trusteeship of Ilim. It is not protected at the legislative level, so the company leases it on a charitable basis under an agreement on a moratorium on logging in this area.

OJSC Ilim Group of Companies is one of the most transparent and accessible for civil control not only in the environmental but also in the financial sphere.

On the Russian market, the company is a leader in terms of the degree of innovation implementation: financial, technical, managerial. This allows it to maintain positive growth even during the period of aggravation of the influence of crisis factors in the country.

Zakhar Smushkin carries out his activities not only within the framework of managing the Ilim Group of Companies. In 2007, its restructuring made it possible to free up financial resources for business development in other areas.

Still in 2007, Smushkin opened the Domovoy (formerly Start) supermarket chain in St. Petersburg, which carries out wholesale and retail trade in goods for minor repairs, for home and everyday life.

In the same year, Smushkin created the construction development company “Start Development” in the cultural capital. At the moment, its largest and most famous project is the construction of the satellite city “Yuzhny”, located in the Pushkinsky district of St. Petersburg.

The second largest project of the Start Development company can be called the Doni-Verevo industrial park in the northern part of the Gatchina district of St. Petersburg. The park area will be 185 hectares; about 30 production and logistics (warehouse) enterprises will be located on this territory.

In addition, Start Development is also involved in a number of smaller scale projects. Among them we can note “Golden Keys” - a low-rise development area, “Tayberry” - plots for dacha development, as well as plots for housing construction in the Gatchina and Pushkinsky districts of St. Petersburg. The company's total "land bank" amounts to more than 40 million square meters. m.

The scale of Zakhar Davidovich’s activities is very large, and in general it can be said that he makes a huge contribution to the development of the economy of the North-Western District of the Russian Federation, and in particular his native St. Petersburg.

As is the case with the environmental side of the issue of the functioning of the largest pulp and paper enterprise, Zakhar Davidovich, owning a construction company, actively participates in the discussion of urban planning issues. As, for example, in 2016 at the II International Forum of Spatial Development, held on September 26-27 in St. Petersburg. Smushkin noted the relevance of the issue of polycentric development of the city against the backdrop of the implementation of such large projects as the construction of the satellite city "Yuzhny" in the Pushkinsky district and the public and business complex "Lakhta Center" in the Primorsky district, which involves, among other things, the construction of the tallest building in Russia and Europe skyscraper. According to Zakhar Davidovich, this vector of development of the northern capital will be formed due to the presence in both projects of plans to provide jobs, as well as their multifunctionality.

In addition to running a business and actively discussing issues related to it, Zakhar Smushkin carries out educational activities as part of initiative government and business groups, as well as as a lecturer in higher educational institutions.

He is a member of the State Technological University of Plant Polymers in St. Petersburg and is a member of its council, in addition, he has the status of an honorary doctor at the St. Petersburg State Forestry University named after S.M. Kirov. And as part of educational activities, it introduces the latest technologies into student curricula. In addition to giving lectures, Zakhar Smushkin provides jobs at the enterprises of the Ilim group for pre-diploma industrial practice.

In addition, Zakhar Davidovich is a member of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs, where he disseminates vertical integration mechanisms developed personally and streamlined at his own enterprises. These mechanisms have shown effectiveness in bringing economic sectors out of stagnation using the example of Ilim.

Smushkin is also a member of the Council for the Development of the Forestry Complex of the Russian Federation under the Government of the Russian Federation, and has proven himself well at the highest government levels. Thus, Dmitry Anatolyevich Medvedev, Prime Minister of the Russian Federation, notes that Zakhar Davidovich is a very valuable specialist in the forestry industry.

Zakhar Davidovich Smushkin, through his activities, makes an invaluable contribution not only to the development of the Russian economy, but also strives to modernize the areas in which he does business, without forgetting about the environment. Also, one cannot underestimate his contribution to the training of new personnel - he teaches and motivates students with his knowledge and his own example.

In general, Smushkin’s biography is an illustrative example of how a person from a simple family, thanks to his enthusiasm and perseverance, can achieve very great heights. It is worth giving a list of his most significant achievements:

Creation of the largest cardboard and pulp production company in Russia and Europe.

He was the first in the Russian Federation to introduce the technology of vertical integration of enterprises.

He is a member of the Presidium of the Russian Society of Entrepreneurs.

Honorary Doctor at the St. Petersburg State Forestry Engineering University named after S. M. Kirov, Honorary Professor at the St. Petersburg State Technological University of Plant Polymers.

However, as the latest news says, in January 2017, Zakhar Smushkin entered the TOP 30 most influential people in St. Petersburg, taking 29th place. The project of a satellite city, which is being promoted by a businessman, is being discussed by the federal center and Smolny; in general, in society, the very idea of ​​such a construction of a city of a new format evokes neutral and positive emotions: people will receive comfortable, comfortable residential areas, the city will receive investments (for example, it was recently announced signing of an agreement between IBM Corporation and the Start-Development company on technological cooperation in the design and construction of a satellite city).

Family, hobbies

In addition to the fact that Zakhar Smushkin is a very successful businessman, he is also an exemplary family man. He and his wife are raising a son. Otherwise, little is known about his personal life, since he and his family do not seek to shock the media and lead a non-public, rather modest life. Zakhar Davidovich names chess and tennis among his hobbies. In addition, he is passionate about collecting paintings, preferring Russian painters at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, among them he notes Vrubel as his favorite artist.

However, Smushkin’s interest in the world of art is not limited only to Russian painters. Thus, on November 12, 2016, the Small Hermitage opened an exhibition of Japanese art from the Meiji era entitled “Perfection in Details”. All exhibits for it were provided by Zakhar Davidovich from his personal collection, carefully collected over a fairly long period of time.

As the businessman himself noted, working in the “material world” makes a person more cynical and pragmatic, while collecting art, including arts and crafts, promotes spiritual development and knowledge of the world. The exhibits presented at the exhibition and the skill with which they were made reflect the evolution of many philosophical issues of humanity.

In the future, Smushkin’s entire personal collection will be placed on permanent display in a museum in the satellite city of Yuzhny, since, according to the businessman, work on this particular project encouraged him to start collecting.