“VostSibStroy” VS “Nord-West”: division of Beryozovoe with good intentions

The long story about building the school in Berezovoe seems to be ending. However, there are still interesting developments ahead. Viktor Ilyichev, the owner of VostSibStroy, intends to compete with Nord-West of the Gusev clan and become the main builder in the Berezovy microdistrict, taking on the construction of a school and a garden. This may not be limited to just Beryozov.

The contract for building a 1550-seat school in the Berezovy microdistrict of Markov Moscow Region was awarded to JSC VostSibProekt (OGRN 1043801006930) by the end of 2022. The company's director, Viktor Ilyichev, who is also a member of the Irkutsk City Duma, and a well-known owner of the VostSibStroy group of companies, was selected to lead the project.

The well-established VostSibStroy group, with a history of thirty years, is involved in a variety of construction projects. In 2022, VostSibStroy ranked third in the Irkutsk region for the amount of housing construction completed, totaling 18,000 square meters. In 2023, they are extending their operations to the Berezovy microdistrict.

It's worth mentioning that discussions about building the school have been ongoing for more than a decade. During the planning of the Berezovy microdistrict, the Nord-West company, owned by the Gusev family, had promised potential buyers to build a kindergarten and a school. Buyers believed the construction lobby's assurances and purchased inexpensive (yet very low-quality) housing without inquiring about other necessary infrastructure. This led to a large microdistrict, housing around 20,000 people, being without a school.

Fortunately, a small kindergarten for 350 children was partially completed, but this still falls short of meeting the needs of Berezovoe residents. Due to the lack of capacity, private kindergartens have sprung up in the microdistrict, and babysitting services are in high demand. Those unable to afford private kindergartens and nannies are compelled to place their children in city facilities. Last autumn, our journalists found that the closest option for childcare was at the Polytechnic University, which is at least a forty-minute drive away or an hour by bus in traffic jams. This is how Nord-West delivered!

Now, let's return to the school. The much-anticipated first bid for the school's construction was placed on October 17, 2022, with a starting cost of 2.5 billion rubles. However, the auction was unexpectedly canceled on October 31 for unknown reasons.

It's possible that the clients underestimated the scale of the upcoming work. We previously discussed how Nord-West used the construction site of the future school as a landfill. This might explain why the subsequent contract increased by almost five hundred million rubles, reaching nearly three billion rubles.

It is interesting to note that the tender was initially won by a company from Chita with only one employee (also the general director), an authorized capital of 10 thousand rubles, and no relevant experience. This does not inspire confidence, as noted by attentive journalists. We also reported on this.

Due to public outcry, the mentioned firm was saved from the contract. Then Viktor Ilyichev, a businessman and member of the City Duma, entered the scene.

Admittedly, building a school in Berezovoe will be challenging. Removing all the buried garbage by the Gusev company will require a lot of money, estimated in the tens of millions of rubles. Additionally, special equipment will damage the roads in Berezovoe, and the project for Krugovaya Street will cost about 500 million rubles. Finding funding sources is uncertain, and the road needs to be ready for the school and kindergarten.

Moving on to the construction of a kindergarten, in late November 2022, the VostSibProject won a contract without any visible obstacles.

This raises the question: Why did Berezovye give in to Ilyichev?

VostSibStroy primarily constructs high-rise buildings, cottages, and social facilities in certain districts. Nord-West has been building shelters in Berezovy for fifteen years.

It is unlikely that Anatoly and Vladislav Gusev, along with their close associates, will willingly leave their homes. It is also doubtful that Viktor Ilyichev is purely charitable in his intentions regarding the construction of gardens and schools. It's worth noting that the businessman holds significant influence and wealth within the Irkutsk construction community.

There is a suspicion that the Berezovy microdistrict will become a battleground for two construction companies, and the projects of the school and kindergarten will serve as an opportunity for VostSibStroy to expand its influence in the region. The possibility of an agreement on dividing spheres of influence cannot be ruled out. Nevertheless, the focus should be on the quality and timely completion of the long-awaited school and kindergarten, especially considering the aforementioned challenges.