Zakhar Davidovich Smushkin, head of the Start Development construction company, began the implementation of the first stage of the project of the smart satellite city Yuzhny, which will be erected in the Pushkin district of the Leningrad region.
As it became known in the summer of 2016, the first phase of development of an area of 200 hectares will not be sold in small areas to a pool of developers. Instead, Start Development will select only one company as a buyer.
According to the plan of Zakhar Smushkin, the selected developer will have to build real estate in this area with a total area of about 1 million square meters. m for 5 years. At the same time, he will be able to pay the deal in installments: first, he will arrange the necessary infrastructure at his own expense, and the rest will be able to pay during the sale of the residential property he built. In St. Petersburg, this deal will be the largest in the last few years.
The choice in favor of this method of implementing the stages of the project is due to several reasons. Firstly, it is much easier to coordinate the development concept, architecture, and sales strategy with one developer. And secondly, the territory acquired by a large developer makes neighboring sites more attractive, and, as a result, their price rises.
The project of Zakhar Smushkin, the satellite city of Yuzhny, should become one of the major economic centers in the Leningrad Region. It is worthwhile to provide some data in order to estimate the scale: for the construction, a plot was purchased on both sides of the M20 - Kiev highway, the total area is 2012 hectares; total area of residential real estate - 4.9 million square meters. m., it is designed for at least 170 thousand people; it is planned to build at least 60 preschool educational institutions, 30 schools, 10 medical centers for the whole family; 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; total investment amounted to 209 billion rubles; The total project implementation period is 19 years.
This project compares favorably with many others being implemented in large cities by its concept: as planned, the city will be low-rise, its space will be comfortably integrated into the environment, and housing is priced for the middle class. Population density will be less than in the northern capital, at least half.
As noted by Zakhar Smushkin, when drawing up a city-planning policy, one should always remember not only the organization of living space, but also the infrastructure and jobs. In the Yuzhny project, about a thousand hectares, that is, almost half, is allocated for the placement of a cluster of innovative production, 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: it will carry out all stages of the production process of innovative products.
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 buses 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.
Read more about the author 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 Russia, but also in Europe.
Born in St. Petersburg on January 23, 1962. He got his secondary education here. From childhood, Smushkin was distinguished by enthusiasm, perseverance, patience. He studied diligently at school and did not create problems for parents.
Zakhar Davidovich also decided to continue his education in his hometown; he entered the Leningrad Institute of the Pulp and Paper Industry. This period formed the idea of Smushkin about the sphere in which he would carry out his activities after graduation. Having become seriously interested in a specialty, in 1984 Smushkin takes another important step in mastering the profession - he enters the magistracy. Zakhar Davidovich successfully combines the writing of his candidate work with work in his specialty as a research fellow at the Hydrolysprom NGO.
After defending his Ph.D., Zakhar Smushkin, having wide knowledge in the specialty and work experience, easily gets 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, with the support of the management of Technoferm Engineering and colleagues, the Zingarevich brothers, Zakhar Smushkin formed the organization Ilim Pulp Enterprise, where he held the post of General Director from its inception 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 on the Expert Council for Economic Development and Investments under Plenipotentiary Representative of the President of the Russian Federation in the North-West Federal District.
Initially, the organization was created as an exporter of pulp in small volumes, but quickly having managed to accumulate capital for this activity, it entirely switches directly to the forest 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. Two of the largest can be noted among them: the Kotlas Pulp and Paper Mill (acquired in 1994) and the Ust-Ilim Timber Processing Complex (acquired in 2000).
Zakhar Davidovich Smushkin as director general of the Ilim group of companies did almost unbelievable: in the context of an economy stagnating amid the collapse of the USSR, he combined 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; retained many jobs, and also gave a new round of development to the economy of the entire Russian North-West District. By 2001, Ilim was already actively operating in European markets.
Zakhar Smushkin is not only a specialist in his profile, a talented businessman and an effective manager, but also an innovator: for the first time in Russia, it was he who applied the vertical integration technology, which allows for more efficient management of both a large number of enterprises themselves and business processes that take place in them .
In 2007, the Ilim holding was restructured into the open joint-stock company Ilim Group in order to increase work efficiency. At the company, Zakhar Davidovich also holds the position of Chairman of the Board of Directors to the present. Thanks to the restructuring, the company, despite the crisis that hit the global economy in 2008, was able to maintain a positive growth rate of technical and financial indicators.
At present, Ilim Group of Companies OJSC is the largest company in the forestry and pulp and paper industries not only in Russia but also in Europe. Here are just some of the statistical indicators that make it possible to assess the scale of its work:
- Every year, the company procures raw wood in the amount 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 providing only the Ilim domestic market is not limited. Thus, exporting bleached softwood and hardwood pulp to the People’s Republic of China, the company covers one third of the country's needs with one and a half billion people in these products.
As we can see from the above statistics, 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 the head of Ilim, copes with this task perfectly: the company has strict control over compliance with all necessary environmental standards. In addition to the mandatory part of work in this area, Smushkin also carries out activities on his own initiative: he has membership in the Council for the Development of the Forest Complex under the Government of the Russian Federation and makes recommendations for improving and developing the country's forest wealth. In addition, Ilim provides all possible assistance in the implementation of environmental measures, both at the state and international levels. In general, monitoring compliance with environmental standards is carried out not only within the framework of obligations - by government organizations or by 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 deforestation, i.e. their growth. As already noted, Ilim also contributes to international organizations in the field of environmental protection. For example, in 2012, a group of companies began to cooperate with WWF. At the initiative of Zakhar Davidovich, the Verkhnevashkinsky forest in the Arkhangelsk Region is located in the custody of Ilim. It is not protected at the legislative level, so the company rents it on charitable foundations under a moratorium on cutting down this territory.
OJSC Ilim Group of Companies is one of the most transparent and accessible for civilian control not only in the environmental but also in the financial sphere.
In the Russian market, the company leads in terms of the degree of innovation: financial, technical, and managerial. This allows her to maintain a positive growth even during a period of aggravation of the influence of crisis factors in the country.
Zakhar Smushkin carries out activities not only as part of the management of the Ilim Group of Companies. In 2007, the restructuring carried out at it allowed freeing up financial resources for business development in other areas.
All in the same 2007 Smushkin opens in St. Petersburg the Domovoy supermarket chain (formerly Start), which carries out wholesale and retail trade in goods for minor repairs, for home and everyday life.
In the same year, in the cultural capital of Smushkin, the construction development company Start Development was created. At the moment, her largest and most famous project is the construction of the satellite city "Yuzhny", located in the Pushkin district of St. Petersburg.
The second largest project by Start Development can be called the Doni-Verevo Industrial Park in the northern part of the Gatchina District of St. Petersburg. The area of the park will be 185 hectares, in this territory there will be about 30 production and logistics (warehouse) enterprises.
In addition to this, Start Development is also involved in a number of smaller-scale projects. Among them, Golden Keys — a low-rise area, Tyberry — plots for summer cottage development, as well as plots for housing construction in the Gatchinsky and Pushkinsky districts of St. Petersburg. The total "land bank" of the company totals more than 40 million square meters. m
The scope of Zakhar Davidovich’s activity 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 in the case of the environmental side of the issue of the operation of the largest pulp and paper mill, Zakhar Davidovich, owning a construction company, actively participates in the discussion of urban development 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 urgency of the issue of the polycentric development of the city against the background of the implementation of such large projects as the construction of the satellite town of Yuzhny in the Pushkin District and the social and business complex Lakhta Center in the Primorsky District, which includes, among other things, the construction of the highest in Russia and Europe skyscraper. According to Zakhar Davidovich, such a vector of development of the northern capital will be formed due to the presence in both projects of plans for providing jobs, as well as their multifunctionality.
In addition to doing business and actively discussing issues related to it, Zakhar Smushkin carries out educational activities as part of proactive government and entrepreneurial groups, as well as a lecturer in higher education.
He is a member of the State Technological University of Plant Polymers in St. Petersburg and is a member of his council; in addition, he has the status of an Honorary Doctor at S.M. St. Petersburg State Forestry University. Kirov. And as part of educational activities, introduces the latest technology in the curriculum of students. In addition to lecturing, Zakhar Smushkin provides jobs at the enterprises of the Ilim group to undergo industrial pre-diploma practice.
In addition, Zakhar Davidovich is a member of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs, where he distributes vertical integration mechanisms developed personally and debugged at his own enterprises. These mechanisms have shown effectiveness in removing industries from 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 at the highest government levels it has established itself well. So, Dmitry Anatolyevich Medvedev, Prime Minister of the Russian Federation, notes that Zakhar Davidovich is a very valuable specialist in the forest industry.
Zakhar Davidovich Smushkin through his activities makes an invaluable contribution not only to the development of the Russian economy, but also seeks to modernize the areas in which he conducts business, while not forgetting about the environment. Also, one should not 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 a good example of how a native from a simple family, thanks to his enthusiasm and perseverance, can reach very great heights. It is worth giving a list of his most significant achievements:
- Creation of the largest cardboard and pulp company in Russia and Europe.
- 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 S. Petersburg Kirov State Forestry University, professor emeritus at the St. Petersburg State Technological University of Plant Polymers.
- Rating of the most successful businessmen: 37th place in the rating, capital value - 52nd.
- The rating of the richest businessmen of Russia according to the Forbes magazine is 114th place.
- “Rating of billionaires”, edition, - 6th place (108 billion rubles).
However, according to the latest news, in January 2017, Zakhar Smushkin entered the TOP-30 of the most influential people in St. Petersburg, taking 29th place in it. The satellite city project, which is being promoted by a businessman, is being discussed by the federal center and Smolny; in general, the very idea of such a construction of a new format city evokes neutral and positive emotions: people will receive well-maintained, comfortable residential quarters, the city is an investment (for example, recently announced the signing of IBM Corporation and Start Development Agreement on technological cooperation in the design and construction of the satellite city).
Family, hobbies
In addition to the fact that Zakhar Smushkin is a very successful businessman, he is also an exemplary family man.Together with his wife he is 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. Among his hobbies, Zakhar Davidovich names chess and tennis. In addition, he is passionate about collecting paintings, preferring Russian painters at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, among them Vrubel notes as a favorite artist.
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In the future, the entire personal collection of Smushkin will be put on permanent display at the museum in the satellite city of Yuzhny, since, according to the businessman, work on this particular project prompted him to begin collecting.