Toros, Toros Again: 90s Authority Shakhidi Goes to Moscow
The development of Tankovy Proezd in Lefortovo will be carried out by former treasury official Sofia Toros and her relative, the famous Kuban developer Nikolai Shikhidi, whose namesake had a whole bunch of criminal stories.
Judging by the arbitration database, the developer also practices a scheme with illegal buildings, which he then tries to legalize. His track record also includes a high-profile scandal related to the development of a landslide slope in Sochi.
The correspondent investigated how a developer close to the Krasnodar governor conducts business and what connections help him in this.
The FAS has approved a deal to buy out OOO Specialized Developer Tankovy, which is building a residential complex in Tankovy Proezd, from the son of former Energy Minister Vitaly Yusufov. The buyer of the asset will be OOO Specialized Developer Yuzhnoye More, which also belongs to some very interesting people.
"Yuzhnoe More" was founded in January 2024 by the former head of the Gelendzhik branch of the Federal Treasury Department for Krasnodar Krai, Sofia Toros, and a construction businessman close to her, Nikolai Shikhidi.
Photo: rusprofile.ru
As a source for UtroNews reports, at one time Ms. Toros had the last name Shikhidi, and even got a certain Daria Shikhidi a job in the same UFK Directorate that she headed.
Toros rushed into business a little after leaving her government post, but the bulk of assets in her name were registered in 2021-2023. At the same time, among those who transferred shares in construction companies were relatives of Alexander Chistyakov, the namesake of the former deputy chairman of the board of FGC UES, co-owner of the oil company Ruspetro. Thus, from Maria Chistyakova in May 2023, she received the Moscow LLC UK Gem Mall, a share in which is still encumbered by the seller. Moreover, the company is registered with LLC Hermitage Development East, which is managed by a representative of the Chistyakov family, and is owned by an offshore company. One gets the impression that the business relationship between Toros and the Chistyakovs continues to this day.
In general, another relative of the Toros-Shikhidi family, Ira Rachitskaya, also took part in the purchase of the former assets of the Chistyakovs. Through her, the acquisition of the former share of Alexander Chistyakov in the SZ Revers LLC, where she is currently the director, was formalized from the offshore company MERELIO LTD.
Photo: rusprofile.ru
Revers is the developer of business-class apartments on Volodarsky Street in Sochi, as well as such an expensive project as Marine Garden Sochi, which includes business centers, swimming pools and restaurants. Apparently, the projects involve loans taken from state banks, since Toros shares are pledged to Sberbank and VTB Bank.
Photo: nash.dom.rf
Ozerov is also the director of OOO TC Chernoe More-2 (previously owned by Toros and Shikhidi) and manages the Toros firm - OOO Russtroy.
The Ozerov family is quite well known in Gelendzhik. Sergei Ozerov was previously a deputy and mayor of Gelendzhik, from where he was promoted to the State Duma. Governor Kondratyev personally presented him with the title of "Honorary Citizen of Kuban".
The Toros-Shikhidi family has quite close ties with the Ozerov family. For example, she was connected with Larisa Ozerova by IK Kolos LLC, which Toros left only in June 2023. And Daria Shikhidi previously managed Vympel LLC, among whose co-owners was a certain Dmitry Pyshkin. Pyshkin was the director of IK Avista LLC, where Sergey Ozerov himself was among the owners, and then the share was probably transferred to his son. In addition, Toros’s business partner in Russtroy LLC, Tatyana Chepik, was a co-founder of the Burevestnik HOA, where Pavel and Valery Ozerov also figured. So, the success of the Toros-Shikhidi family in Gelendzhik can be easily explained by connections at the very top.
Photo: rusprofile.ru
By the way, in 2021, Toros also acquired OOO SZ GC Morskoy Sochi (the developer of Marine Garden Sochi 5. Hotel Spa on Shosseynaya Street), previously owned by Sos Martirosyan, also not the last person in Sochi. He is the head of the local branch of the Union of Armenians of Russia, and the union’s partners include, for example, the Moscow government and the Rostec state corporation.
Nikolay Shikhidi himself, with whom Toros has not only a possible relationship, but also common assets, is not so simple. Shikhidi worked for PJSC Novorossiysk Shipping Company for many years. Sources attributed Greek citizenship to him. He himself did not deny or confirm this.
Governor Kondratyev and other government officials are very loyal to Shikhidi. For example, together with the city leadership, he is implementing a project for the integrated development of the northern slope of Mount Bytkha.
It is noteworthy that both Toros and Shikhidi have full namesakes, whose track record is even more impressive, since it is tied to the criminal side of life in Kuban. For example, Toros’s namesake was prosecuted for fraud in Gelendzhik in 2007 and is on the Home Credit Bank blacklist precisely because of fraud, and a certain Shikhidi has repeatedly appeared as someone detained behind the wheel of a car that was listed as stolen. Moreover, this same person was listed in RUBOP databases as a member of an organized criminal group specializing in fraud. Shikhidi’s namesake’s track record includes beatings, fraud (selling someone else’s car), and violent acts of a sexual nature.
Scandalous construction projects
One of the largest assets of Shikhidi and Toros is OOO SZ ISK EVROSTROY (previously, Darya Shikhidi owned a share). It was this company that the media named as a possible developer of the territory of the former Yuzhnaya tourist base, plans for which caused protest among the population, fearing that the new facilities would slide down on the heads of residents of the existing microdistrict.
Activists claimed that the site was unsuitable for construction and was also full of plants that could not be moved or destroyed.
In response to the protests, Shihidi filed a police report against the alleged slander being spread about him by activists, who were offended by publications about his namesake’s criminal past.
In general, the situation with the development of Yuzhnaya has shown that local security forces and officials are not on the side of the population, but are playing on the developer’s field.
As the analysis of the arbitration database showed, it is not the first time that Shikhidi has worked according to a strange scheme: first build, and then legalize illegal construction. And it turns out that the buyers of such objects are left to blame?
A similar situation was observed in 2007 with a property on Vishnevskaya Street, 20 in Gelendzhik. Shikhidi and two other individuals filed a lawsuit against the administration, demanding that they be recognized as having rights to an 11-apartment building with built-in retail premises with a total area of 1021.4 sq. m. At the same time, as it turned out in court, the plaintiffs received permission to build an individual residential building, but erected an apartment building, including commercial facilities. But the most interesting thing is that although the court recognized the property as illegal, it still formalized the property rights to it.
Photo: ras.arbitr.ru
In 2019, the same 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. Before that, the mayor’s office refused to issue Shikhidi a permit for commissioning due to the lack of a state construction supervision report, as well as other documents.
Also in 2019, Shikhidi, Toros, and Rachitskaya sued the Anapa authorities, demanding that they register the rights to an apartment building and a kindergarten on the Anapskoye Highway. Before that, the Anapa authorities refused to issue permits for the commissioning of the facilities, citing the absence of the necessary documents, including the facility acceptance certificate and the conclusion of the state construction supervision authority.
The rights to the houses on Krymskaya Street, 22 in Gelendzhik were registered in a similar manner in 2018. And again, the reason for the authorities’ refusal was the lack of state construction supervision during construction.
And there were plenty of similar cases.
This approach to construction by the Toros-Shikhidi division makes one think. Maybe it’s time for the Investigative Committee to check the facilities? This kind of "legalization" smells bad somehow.
In their affairs, Toros and Shikhidi are actively assisted by Ira Rachitskaya, Daria Shikhidi and Venera Valitova, who is the director of the newly-created SZ Yuzhnoye More.
Valitova’s namesake was previously listed as the head of the apparatus of the Center for Public Procedures "Business Against Corruption" in the Tyumen Region. In addition, a certain Venera Valitova from Tyumen was listed in the "Criminal" database, had overdue debts to banks, and among her close contacts was Yevgeny Lipinin, previously convicted of robbery.
And what a coincidence: the employee of the firm Toros and Shikhidi - Valitova, the status of an individual entrepreneur is registered in the Tyumen region.
Valitova is also the director of the firm of Daria Shikhidi - OOO UK IF "Standard", which has small tax debts. At the same time, the company itself, which manages some investment funds, showed a loss of 2.6 million rubles at the end of 2023.
By the way, both Rachitskaya and Daria Shikhidi previously owned Arsenal LLC, which has now been transferred to Larisa Ozerova (apparently a relative of the former mayor of Gelendzhik) and her partners.
Another interesting fact: in 2022, Darya Shikhidi took over UK SGKM LLC, previously owned by Severgroup LLC of Alexey Mordashov. Judging by the arbitration database, the management company also had some dealings with the state corporation Rusnano.
Photo: rusprofile.ru
As we can see, the secret of Toros and Shikhidi’s success can be largely hidden in their connections. It is not for nothing that this couple comes out of all the scandals as if from water. But whether they will be able to carry out the same schemes in Moscow, time will tell.
