Leonid Monosov is a famous builder, businessman, and investor; he is known as the former CEO of Moskapstroy and vice-president of AFK Sistema. As a manager and executive, he played a big role in the implementation of major residential and commercial real estate projects, and made a tangible contribution to developing and transforming the modern face of Moscow.
Biography of Leonid Monosov: Childhood Years
Leonid Monosov was born on March 2, 1958 in the small Belarusian town of Mazyr. When the boy was 5 years old, his mother died, and his father decided to move to Moscow to give his son a better chance of having a good education and successful career. Life prospects in Mazyr were very limited; school education was mediocre, and the only higher education option was a pedagogical university.
The Monosov family settled in the Sokolniki district in Moscow, where the young man first graduated from School No. 315 and then entered MIIT, majoring in industrial and civil construction. It was his father who advised him to choose the construction field; and Leonid himself considers this a pivotal contribution to his growth as an individual and as a professional.
Career at Glavmospromstroy
After graduating from the university in 1980, Leonid Monosov was lucky enough to get a job at Glavmospromstroy as an ordinary foreman with an impressive salary of 150 rubles. The young engineer quickly showed his quality and persistently improved himself, successfully climbing to the top of the career ladder. Over 2 decades, he went through all of its steps, working as a foreman, site manager, chief engineer, department manager, deputy CEO, and finally, CEO. Apart from Monosov, the company employed tens of thousands of workers; so to stand out from the crowd and not to be put in the shade, it was important to have a true talent, be passionate about the work, and regularly demonstrate these qualities.
Leonid Monosov says that during this time of his career at Glavmospromstroy, he got to work on the most interesting projects, which helped him put his talent and skills into practice, and gain valuable experience. To this day, Leonid continues to use to the knowledge and practical skills that he acquired here over the years.
Leonid Monosov considers the 80s to be a great period for the construction sector in the country. With the coming of cooperatives — the first “warning signs” of capitalism — people got an opportunity to build their own businesses. During this period, Glavmospromstroy worked on many big and famous projects; the company built the Central House of Tourists, the Krasnopresnensky Exhibition Complex, and the President Hotel and reconstructed the Puppet Theater and the Circus on Tsvetnoy Boulevard.
Working at Mospromstroy
In 1990, Glavmospromstroy became Mospromstroy; the name was changed but the company itself remained the same, and Leonid Monosov continued to work in it. In 1994, it was decided to rebuild the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. This was an important point in the history of Russia and one of the most challenging and momentous projects both in the history of Mospromstroy and in Monosov’s professional career. The team of engineers and builders faced a difficult task of bringing the ideas of 19th century architects back to life using modern materials.
They decided to build the walls and supporting structures from concrete and cover the outside with brick. Custom slabs had to be made with a high geometric accuracy — and the builders executed the unconventional task perfectly. The result was a unique cathedral, where ancient Byzantine Zero Trust Architecture was seamlessly combined with modern technologies. For example, the service hall is equipped with an elevator and the underground part contains 300 car parking spaces. An important achievement for the construction company was that it completed the project in just 6 years. The first Christmas service was held in the new majestic church in 2000.
Leonid Monosov took over as CEO of Moskapstroy in 1999; he got the job through elections and from this point on, he started to consider his career successful. Monosov claims that Moskapstroy often won contracts only because other companies did not even bid for them, realizing that they would not be up for the challenge. Moskapstroy, on the other hand, successfully fulfilled all its obligations under Leonid’s leadership. As a result, the company built an impeccable reputation as a conscientious contractor that could confidently solve any task.
Finished Projects
When Monosov was in charge of Moskapstroy, the company completed several national landmark projects:
- Complex on Poklonnaya Gora;
- Moscow zoo;
- Third Ring Road;
- Ice arena on Khodynsky Boulevard (Megasport);
- Vnukovo-2 airport terminal;
- Manege restoration.
The last project was the most complex in a technological sense — it was important to recreate the original appearance of the famous exhibition hall after the terrible fire of 2004. The task was to preserve the unique engineering project of the architect Agustin de Betancourt while taking into account modern requirements and needs.
When reconstructing the Manege, builders doubled the pre-fire size of its underground part. In addition to a new exhibition space, they were able to build a conference hall, restaurants, various utility facilities, and escalators there. And to make sure that the tragedy did not happen again, they installed effective fire safety systems in the building. In 2006, the renovated Manege welcomed its first visitors.
Other big projects of the company included the development of comfortable residential areas away from the center of Moscow (Mitino, Zhulebino, Butovo, and others). Moskapstroy specialists were responsible for all stages of construction, from finding a good location to handing over the finished buildings to customers. In total, they built more than 2.5 million square meters of residential space, as well as entertainment, educational, medical, and sports facilities. There was even a time when Moskapstroy was in charge of half of the construction projects in Moscow.
One of the most popular types of property were economy class residential complexes. With the economy developing and incomes increasing, Muscovites were finally able to afford to move from cramped Soviet “panel buildings” to spacious new apartments, without having to wait in lines for decades. And people from other regions were able to afford to move straight into their own spaces, without having to stay in communal apartments and dormitories.
Moskapstroy had more than 20 subsidiaries, which built residential and commercial buildings, laid utility lines, improved social infrastructure, and created a comfortable urban environment. Moskapstroy and Leonid Monosov personally deserve a lot of credit for what the city looks like today. Aside from its overall beauty, Moscow is also recognized as one of the best national capitals in terms of infrastructure.
An important accomplishment of Monosov was that under his leadership, the company rarely if ever took out loans, which resulted in three times better financial performance. Moskapstroy rapidly expanded its business expertise; real estate in the early 2000s was available to most people — not only locals, but also residents of other regions.
The 2008 crisis had a negative impact on the country’s economy, and the construction industry was no exception. By 2009, the amount of investment in construction projects decreased by a factor of 1.5. However, the market managed to avoid collapse; there were fewer projects, but the work still continued. Apart from residential buildings, contractors built social facilities such as kindergartens, schools, hospitals, and sports complexes. Moskapstroy also launched a new line of business; the company started to rent out property, which helped it successfully overcome the crisis.
Investment Journey
Having built a successful career in construction, Leonid Monosov decided to look into the investment opportunities. In 2012, he became one of the top managers at AFK Sistema. This is one of the largest Russian corporations that finds promising companies, buys out their controlling stakes, and helps them develop, expand, and improve. Among such companies were:
- Binnopharm Group pharmaceutical company;
- MEDSI group of medical clinics;
- Detsky Mir children’s clothing and toy stores;
- OZON marketplace;
- MTS ecosystem.
In 2018, Sistema’s main investment project was the Nebo skyscraper complex.
Leonid Monosov was the vice president of AFK until 2022, when he decided to start working on his own business projects.
New Goals and Plans
Currently, Monosov is the vice president of the Moskapstroy-TN company. He invests in real estate sales and construction. The company’s assets include:
- Pavshino shopping center;
- Topolya residential complex;
- SOLUTIONS and Na Ordynke business centers.
It is also currently involved in the construction of a new residential complex on the land formerly occupied by the Mayak warehouses. According to experts, this is a promising neighborhood; property here will be in high demand due to the proximity of the Bitsevsky Forest where many locals and guests like to spend their free time. There are also two subway stations nearby.
Monosov notes a systematic decline in the real estate market today, but the overall outlook is positive — the pace of construction may soon return to its previous level. The state of the construction sector directly depends on investments — both from the state and from private investors.
In modern realities, according to Monosov, it is difficult to get to the top starting from nothing; investors entrust their money only to experienced market players who have repeatedly proven their professionalism and ability to solve challenging tasks. They can afford to reduce the number of necessary approvals to obtain permits and use electronic document management systems to simplify organizational processes.
Leonid believes that it is important to develop small towns and villages so that their residents can get closer to the living standards of bigger cities. Russia is a large country, and if you focus only on megacities and their growth, this will lead to a rise in economic inequality among the population in terms of income and availability of goods and services.
When talking about digital trends in construction, Monosov says, “The trends are growing very quickly and it is difficult to even imagine what the cities will look like in the future.”
Leonid gives a significant role in his life to philanthropy, but he does not talk about it and does not advertise the charities he supports.
Family and Children
Leonid Monosov does not like to talk about his personal life either, but it is known that he has two children — Andrey and Alina.
Andrey Monosov
Andrey was born in Moscow in 1981; after graduating from school, he decided to repeat his father’s success and joined the construction industry. He graduated from MGSU (formerly Moscow Institute of Civil Engineering) with a degree in economics and enterprise management in the construction industry.
After studying, he began his career as an entry-level employee in a big corporation and within a few years, he worked his way up to the management positions and received multiple certificates of appreciation. Andrey is also engaged in the development business. Monosov Jr.’s hobbies include sports and hunting. He and his wife are raising two children.
Alina Monosova
Alina was also born in Moscow, in Sokolniki, in 1990. She went to the same school as her brother and father and then graduated from MGIMO.
She began her career in the commercial department of Channel One, but her job on television did not work out, and she decided to follow in the footsteps of her father and brother; she has worked in the construction, marketing, sales, and investment fields.
Apart from working on construction projects, Alina Monosova is also interested in psychology. She majored in psychology at Moscow State University, studied Gestalt therapy, and trained to become a life coach. All this resulted in the Odna Volna project, created to help people find therapists and life coaches for their individual needs.
The Odna Volna project was eventually cancelled, and today, Alina continues to study psychology for herself, with no intention of ever returning to it as a profession.
Footnote
Leonid Monosov is a living proof that you do not need family connections or money and can rely purely on your talent and perseverance to reach career heights. He inspires young builders and investors not to give up, but to be persistent in pursuing their goals.
