Moscow is considered one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Tourists from all over the world come to admire the architectural landmarks of the Russian capital — and they are never disappointed. But have you ever thought about where these architectural masterpieces come from? What makes it possible to preserve historical buildings virtually unchanged for decades and even centuries? How do numerous tourist attractions remain as beautiful and captivating as ever while also becoming more comfortable and accessible to visitors and sightseers? The biography of Leonid Monosov will provide answers to some of these questions.
Education
The future entrepreneur and builder was born in 1958. Monosov comes from a small Belarusian town of Mazyr, situated on the bank of the Pripyat River. Leonid’s family lived in Mazyr until 1963 and probably would have stayed there for a long time if it were not for the tragedy of his mother’s early death. After the tragic event, his father, Anatoly Monosov, decided to move to the Russian capital; he had many reasons for such a decision, but the main one was the desire of Monosov Sr. to provide his son with the best opportunities to get a quality education and make a good career. Mazyr itself was hardly a place to receive a good education; local schools were rather unimpressive, and there was only one university — which trained teachers.
So, in 1963, the father and son moved to Moscow. Here, Leonid started going to School No. 315. It was not just a community school, but also one of the best educational institutions in the capital. First of all, it had its own observatory, and many students simply adored astronomy lessons, because they had the opportunity to study new topics not from the textbooks, but in practice. What’s more, just as Leonid started school, it introduced a new advanced math-training program; students in these classes studied the exact sciences in depth, participated in academic competitions, and, as a result, easily entered the best universities in Moscow.
Leonid Monosov proved to be a capable student. He had a penchant for the exact sciences and after receiving his high school diploma, decided to enter a university that trained railway transport engineers. He easily passed the entrance exams and chose to major in construction. Leonid enjoyed studying, he was an excellent student and regularly participated in university life. So, it came as no surprise when Monosov got a great career opportunity after finishing his degree; he was appointed to a job in one of the largest construction companies not only in Moscow, but in the whole country.
Career. Glavmospromstroy
Leonid Monosov started his career in a large construction corporation called Glavmospromstroy. Getting a job there was considered a great luck, but in fact, it had nothing to do with being lucky — the Soviet job placement system made sure that the best vacancies were filled by the best graduates who had been active in student life. So, Leonid truly deserved his place among the foremen of Glavmospromstroy. And his further rapid career advancement was clear proof of that fact.
It was not easy to get a job as a foreman at Glavmospromstroy, a company that employed thousands of workers, from architects and designers to builders and maintenance technicians. But to stand out among more experienced employees, to attract attention, to show your best qualities, and to start moving up the career ladder was even more difficult. However, Leonid Monosov succeeded in this task; the young specialist boldly took on any challenge, worked on the most complex projects, and consistently showed excellent performance.
Let’s talk about Glavmospromstroy in more detail. This was a company that built and reconstructed the most important and complex facilities in the capital, such as the Ostankino television center, Luzhniki stadium, and the Central Tourist House. In 1990, it was transformed into a closed joint stock company called Mospromstroy; but in reality, everything but the name remained the same — the company continued to work on complex projects, providing high-quality solutions to construction problems in the shortest possible time.
Leonid Monosov began his career at Glavmospromstroy as an ordinary foreman with a salary of 150 rubles. Monosov worked in the company for 20 years and had a chance to try his hand at different roles — each new one gave him the opportunity to show his best professional qualities and move higher up the career ladder.
As Leonid Monosov recalls today, his time at Glavmospromstroy was full of complex projects and fateful decisions. And this was exactly what he needed to grow as a person, gain the necessary experience, build an impressive career, and then create his own successful business.
One of the most challenging projects that Monosov carried out during his time at Glavmospromstroy was the restoration of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. The decision to rebuild the main Russian cathedral was made in 1994. The goal was to not only recreate the historically accurate appearance of the building down to the smallest detail, but also take into account modern construction standards and regulations, and make it convenient for visitors and members of the clergy. The contractor proved to be equal to the task:
- The cathedral was built within a very short time. Construction began in 1994, and at the turn of the millennium, the church held its first Christmas service. Considering the scale, complexity, and significance of the project, this was truly a record time — later on, many construction companies would try to keep up with Glavmospromstroy in this regard, striving to achieve the same level of professionalism.
- The cathedral was built according to the original 19th-century design. It was made with concrete slabs and lined with marble. The best professionals in the industry worked on the construction.
- They followed all the latest state standards and regulations, and used modern technologies and materials. For example, they installed an elevator between the different levels of the cathedral and built a modern underground parking lot.
Career. Moskapstroy
Leonid Monosov left Glavmospromstroy just before the handover of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior — in fact, it was the last project Monosov worked on in this company.
Why did he leave Glavmospromstroy? Because he felt that he had already achieved everything he could in the company and saw no no more room for growth there. Moreover, Monosov was offered the position of CEO at Moskapstroy, another large construction company in the capital. Leonid Monosov saw this proposal as another big leap up the career ladder.
About Moskapstroy. The company traces its history back to 1957. It occupied its market niche in the capital as a subcontract technical representative — for several decades, Moskapstroy supervised the construction of infrastructure facilities and new residential areas. This company played a significant role in shaping the modern face of Moscow — before Moskapstroy, the capital was growing chaotically, with all construction departments dealing with their own tasks separately. Under the supervision of the technical representative, the Moscow construction industry reached a new level; from that point on, the metropolis was laid out according to fixed urban plans, engineers had to make thorough preparations before starting any construction processes, and the distribution of capital investments became more rational and efficient. During the Soviet era, Moskapstroy monitored 90 percent of the capital’s construction projects, and these were not only new residential areas, but also infrastructural, industrial, and cultural facilities. Moskapstroy supervised the construction of new zoo pavilions, reconstruction of Kremlin facilities, and restoration of the underground and above-ground parts of the Manege.
After Leonid Monosov became the CEO, Moskapstroy began to grow even more rapidly. Moskapstroy regularly submitted bids for the most challenging public contracts and often ended up being the only participant; other companies simply did not dare to take on greater responsibility, worried they would not be able to meet the deadlines or implement a technically complex project to a high standard. Moskapstroy did not shy away from any challenge — the company took on the most difficult projects and brilliantly carried them out using the latest construction technologies.
Among the projects that Leonid Monosov is truly proud of are:
- The Manege exhibition center that burned down in 2004. The complex was badly damaged by the fire. Monosov and his team set to restore the complex while preserving its historical appearance and complying with the construction norms and regulations. Moskapstroy acted as a technical representative; the construction plan was based on the 19th-century drawings. The builders managed to recreate an exact copy of the original exhibition venue — a hundred and fifty-meter wooden structure without interior supports. They restored the old concrete supports in the underground part and equipped two exhibition halls with fire extinguishing and ventilation systems. Today, the complex is open to visitors; it hosts conferences and exhibitions, and there is also a restaurant inside the building. The work was completed in record time — the renovated Manege welcomed its first visitors in February 2005.
- The Third Ring Road. The main stage of the highway construction started in 1998, and works continued until 2005. One of the innovative solutions in this project was the water transportation of the Krasnoluzhsky and Andreevsky bridges; the structures were transported by the river current, which made it possible to preserve the heritage in its original form.
Moskapstroy was flourishing up until the global financial crisis, which greatly crippled the construction industry. But even in 2008 and beyond, when many companies went bankrupt, Moskapstroy remained afloat; the company compensated for the decrease in income from construction projects by leasing property and exploring new technological areas. Moreover, while Monosov was the CEO, the company hardly ever resorted to bank loans and moved forward primarily thanks to the competent distribution of capital injections.
Starting a Business
In 2012, Leonid Monosov decided to focus on studying the investment field and left Moskapstroy. When the top manager had accumulated enough experience and knowledge in this sphere, he began working on starting his own business projects.
Today, Leonid Monosov is the first vice president of Moskapstroy-TN, a company that engages in investing activities and manages real estate. Monosov aims at implementing large-scale construction projects and plans to oversee the construction of a residential neighorhood on the former territory of the Mayak warehouses. He is confident that the favorable location of the residential complex will be the key to its success; the site is located in the Chertanovo area, with two subway stations nearby and the Bitsevsky forest with its historic estates and ecological trails 200 meters away.
Moskapstroy-TN also manages several large complexes, such as the Solutions and Na Ordynke business centers, and the Topolya residential development. The company sells real estate and rents out property.
Personal Life. Children
Leonid Monosov does not talk much about his personal life. However, it is known that the top manager has two adult, and quite successful, children.
Andrey Monosov (born 1981 in Moscow) followed in his father’s footsteps; he graduated from a civil engineering university and is now pursuing a career in a real estate development company. Just like his father, Andrey began his career as an entry-level employee, devoting a lot of his time to work and studying the ins and outs of the company’s operations from the inside; today, Andrey Monosov successfully uses the obtained knowledge to move up the career ladder.
Alina Monosova was born in 1990. She studied at MGIMO and first finished her degree in business administration and then in public administration. She also studied as an exchange student in the UK and graduated from Regent’s University. Alina also spends a lot of time studying psychology. She has a degree from MSU, a diploma in life coaching, and a first-level Gestalt psychology certificate; currently, she is researching health psychology. In terms of career, Alina Monosova, too, never hesitates to experiment; she is always in search of things to do that will bring her not only income, but also satisfaction and opportunities for growth. As a student, Alina got to work on Channel One, but work in television disappointed her. After graduating from Regent’s University, Alina worked as a marketing specialist at a construction company for about ten years. Moreover, Alina is continuously working on her own projects. Monosova created the Odna Volna app, which helped people find coaches and therapists according to their needs, but had to say goodbye to it, as it took too much of her time and started to negatively affect her main job. Today, Alina is a co-author on a Telegram channel about fashion and style, where she shares her observations, analyzes outfits, and tells the subscribers where to find certain brands in the country and abroad.