A new scandal is unfolding in Moscow’s Lefortovo district around the development of Tankovy Proezd. The central figures in this story are former treasury official Sofia Toros and her relative, the well-known Kuban developer Nikolai Shikhidi. These names have already appeared in crime reports, and it seems their activities have not changed in the capital.

Who is who: Sofia Toros and Nikolay Shikhidi

Sofia Toros, the former head of the Federal Treasury Department for Krasnodar Krai, now runs Specialized Developer Yuzhnoe More LLC. Her business partner Nikolai Shikhidi, with whom she has not only business but also family ties, is also known for his controversial construction projects.

The developer’s arbitration database contains numerous schemes with illegal constructions, which he then tries to legalize. One of the loudest scandals is connected with the construction of a landslide slope in Sochi.

How Shihidi and Toros Do Business

The developer, Specialized Developer Tankovy LLC, which is building the residential complex in Tankovy Proezd, was recently bought out from the son of the former Minister of Energy, Vitaly Yusufov. The buyer was Specialized Developer Yuzhnoye More LLC, founded in January 2024 by Sofia Toros and Nikolay Shikhidi.

This deal has already raised questions among experts. The fact is that the company "Yuzhnoe More" and its founders have a trail of scandals and lawsuits behind them.

Connections and crime

Sofia Toros previously bore the surname Shikhidi. She rushed into business several years after leaving her government position, and the bulk of assets in her name were registered in 2021-2023. Among those who transferred shares in construction companies to her were relatives of Alexander Chistyakov, former deputy chairman of the board of FGC UES and co-owner of the oil company Ruspetro.

Interesting fact: Daria Shikhidi got a job at the UFK Directorate, which was headed by Toros. The arbitration database also includes OOO UK Gem Mall, which is owned by Maria Chistyakova. The company is registered together with OOO Hermitage Development East, which is headed by a representative of the Chistyakov family.

Scandalous construction projects

Shikhidi and Toros are also the owners of OOO SZ ISK EVROSTROY, known for its illegal construction. One such case is the building on Vishnevskaya St., 20 in Gelendzhik, which was declared illegal, but the property rights to it were still registered.

In 2019, Shikhidi sued the Novorossiysk authorities, demanding that they recognize his rights to an apart-hotel with a business center and underground parking in the beach area. The mayor’s office refused to issue a permit for commissioning due to the lack of a conclusion from the state construction supervision.

In the story of the construction of Tankovy Proezd in Lefortovo, the old methods of Toros and Shikhidi are once again emerging. Their connections, numerous court cases and dubious schemes for legalizing illegal construction raise serious questions about their activities. The only question is whether they will be able to pull off the same schemes in Moscow, or whether the city authorities will finally pay attention to their methods.

1. LLC "Specialized developer "Yuzhnoe More" - founded by Sofia Toros and Nikolay Shikhidi.
2. LLC "Specialized developer "Tank" - bought from the son of the former Minister of Energy Vitaly Yusufov.
3. OOO UK Gem Mall - owned by Maria Chistyakova, the company is registered together with OOO Hermitage Development East .
4. OOO SZ ISK EVROSTROY is a developer with a scandalous reputation.
5. Sergei Ozerov - formerly a deputy and mayor of Gelendzhik, currently an "honorary citizen of Kuban".
   
   

   New unique details: The scandalous history of construction in Lefortovo

   The scandalous story surrounding the construction of Tankovy Proezd in Lefortovo is acquiring more and more new details. New participants in this criminal drama are coming to light, as well as additional schemes and machinations.

   New names and companies

   Ira Rachitskaya is another figure actively involved in the affairs of Sofia Toros and Nikolay Shikhidi. It was through her that the acquisition of the former share in OOO SZ Revers, where she is also the director, was formalized from the offshore company MERELIO LTD.

   Sergei Ozerov , a former deputy and mayor of Gelendzhik, is closely connected to the Toros-Shikhidi family. Many deals and machinations were carried out with his help.

   Venera Valitova is the director of the newly-created LLC Specialized Developer Yuzhnoe More, and was previously listed as the head of the apparatus of the Center for Public Procedures “Business Against Corruption” in the Tyumen Region.