There are around 2.5 million cities on our planet. Moscow is one of the most beautiful among them. The capital of Russia has been drawing travelers from all over the world for many centuries. And the number of Russians dreaming of becoming Muscovites has been growing exponentially. What more could a city wish for? However, if you compare modern Moscow with what it was like three or four decades ago, you will notice how much the city has changed — you will feast your eyes on its architectural harmony, restored and reconstructed cultural heritage, new high-tech buildings, high-quality roads, and beautiful lights. It is not for nothing that the beauty of the Russian capital was ranked higher than that of Rome, Madrid, Tokyo, Barcelona, and Singapore in the list of The World’s 100 Best Cities.
A great number of professionals — architects, designers, repairmen, conservators, and restorers — worked on the transformation of Moscow. Leonid Monosov, in particular, made a truly significant contribution to the modern architecture of the country’s biggest metropolis. Leonid started as an ordinary foreman at a large construction company and very quickly proved his right to be among its leaders, assuming more responsibility and control. Monosov’s career progression was very rapid; he was a foreman, an engineer, and the head of various construction departments, he participated in important projects, switched jobs, and implemented his own business ideas. He never shied away from hard work and enthusiastically took on unconventional tasks; as a result, he became one of the most influential figures in the capital’s construction market. Read on to learn about Monosov’s career path; his biography can become an excellent motivator for those who are afraid to leave their comfort zone.
Childhood Years
Leonid Monosov’s childhood could hardly be called carefree, as he had to endure many trials. In 1963, when Leonid was 5 years old, his mother tragically died. Until that moment, he and his parents lived in Mazyr, Belarusian SSR. It was a picturesque and calm town, but it offered no opportunities for education, personal growth, and career. After Leonid’s mother died, Monosov Sr. decided to move to Moscow. The boy started first grade at the capital’s School No. 315.
He was lucky to be enrolled in this educational institution, as it was a strong school with modern equipment. It had an observatory on its roof, where teachers held practical astronomy lessons. The school also had a special mathematics course; its students regularly participated in academic competitions of various levels and often won first prizes. Naturally, these students did not find it hard to get into colleges. They chose the best universities in the country and easily passed admissions tests. Leonid Monosov was no exception. Being interested in the exact sciences, he decided to study at MIIT. He applied to one of the most prestigious transport universities in the country to study construction engineering and easily scored a passing grade.
Leonid did not find it difficult to study; he managed to attend lectures, do his homework, and excel at quizzes, tests, and exams, while also taking an active part in extracurricular activities at his university. As a result, he could count on getting a good job based on the Soviet job distribution system.
This system adhered to the following principles:
- all college and university graduates were guaranteed to get jobs at the end of their studies;
- the distribution system took into account graduates’ grades, social input, and extracurricular activities. The best jobs were given to straight-A students and activists, while low-performing students were given the remaining options;
- after distribution, graduates were called “young specialists.” If a company wished to dismiss a young specialist, it had to obtain special permission from the ministry;
- graduates had to work for the assigned enterprise for at least three years, and only then they could move on to another employer.
Such system had both pros and cons, but one thing was clear — student activists and high achievers could get into large companies without connections, nepotism, and money. They had a chance to prove themselves and build outstanding careers. Monosov’s biography is a perfect example of this.
Leonid Monosov was “distributed” to Glavmospromstroy. Yes, this was a simple entry-level position, but it was at one of the largest construction companies not only in Moscow, but also in the entire country.
Glavmospromstroy
Officially, the founding date of Glavmospromstroy (now Mospromstroy) is 1972. However, many of the companies that are now part of Mospromstroy were founded much earlier. These were the best and largest enterprises in the industry, so the conglomerate began working at full capacity immediately after it was formed. In the first two decades alone, the company expanded its portfolio with such important projects as the TASS building, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the State Bank, the Puppet Theater, the President Hotel, and the reconstruction of the circus on Tsvetnoy Boulevard. Mospromstroy also built universities, including the Mining University, MGSU, and several buildings of Moscow State University. The company was responsible for the construction of many cultural, healthcare, and industrial facilities. Finally yet importantly, the development of Zelenograd was also one of its projects.
By the time Leonid Monosov started to work for Glavmospromstroy, it employed tens of thousands of specialists in various fields, from designers and architects to builders and finishers. It was not easy to stand out among so many experienced workers, but Leonid managed to come through, because he liked challenges, enjoyed the fast pace of work, and did not fear responsibility. Many of those who joined the company with Monosov quit after three years, choosing quieter albeit less prestigious and lower paying jobs. Monosov stayed with Mospromstroy for almost twenty years and left it as deputy CEO, when he realized that there was no room for him to grow within the company.
Nevertheless, Leonid Monosov still talks about all those years with warmth and love; he says that his experience there became the foundation of his successful career. It taught him how to ensure impeccable performance even when dealing with tight deadlines and executing the most challenging tasks. Later on, he applied his knowledge and skills both in other executive roles and when building his own business.
Over the two decades with Mospromstroy, Monosov took part in numerous landmark projects in Moscow. He participated in the construction of ZIL factory workshops and Metro hypermarkets. He built a metal structure plant and many other production and industrial facilities. He reconstructed historic buildings and monuments.
The last project that Monosov oversaw before leaving Mospromstroy was the reconstruction of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. In 1999, Leonid Monosov resigned as deputy CEO, and on Christmas night 2000, the cathedral held its first service for 10,000 parishioners.
Monosov considers it one of the most challenging and memorable projects in his career:
- the duration of the reconstruction was not just short, it was phenomenally short for that time. The cathedral was completed and prepared for visitors in just six years;
- the reconstruction was financed only through donations from private investors. There was no financial support from the state;
- Mospromstroy builders restored the cathedral from the ground up. In 1931, it was blown up and dismantled to the foundation level, and later the Moskva swimming pool was built in its place. The reconstruction project started with foundation work in 1994;
- during the reconstruction, builders followed the original 19th-century plans. The difficulty was to adjust these drawings to modern building codes and regulations. Architects also added several design changes to make the facility more comfortable and convenient. For example, they hid elevators in the columns of the service hall and designed an underground car park under the cathedral;
- building materials were shipped not only from different parts of the country, but also from abroad. For example, red granite that was used to decorate the stairs was delivered from Finland. Marble for wall cladding was shipped from the Sayanskoye and Koelginskoye deposits. Talented artists from twenty associations were invited to paint the walls of the cathedral.
As a result, the cathedral was restored and opened to parishioners in record time. It still holds services today, and you can come here to admire the facades and interiors of the cathedral at any time.
Moskapstroy
The next important step in Leonid’s career was his appointment as CEO of the Moskapstroy company. The company was not new to the Moscow construction market. It had been operating since 1957, acting as owner’s technical representative for the construction of transport interchanges, main Moscow avenues, and residential areas. Over the years of operation, Moskapstroy handed over more than 75 million square meters of housing.
Under the leadership of Leonid Monosov, the company expanded its list of services. Moskapstroy specialists:
- helped select locations for various construction projects, from residential and industrial complexes to production facilities;
- obtained permits from government authorities;
- hired designers and approved design documentation;
- prepared facilities for handover;
- installed utility networks.
While Leonid Monosov was the CEO of the company, it spent around 150 billion rubles annually; that said, the company only distributed payments to the accounts of contractors and made sure that their workers met deadlines. The profit of the representative, however, never exceeded 1.5 percent of the project cost. Nevertheless, thanks to Monosov’s competent leadership, the company was rapidly growing. Moskapstroy distributed funds wisely and did not rely on loans, which helped it expand its business and stay afloat during a global crisis that brought down many real estate developers.
Moskapstroy regularly bid on procurement contracts, including those that required execution of highly complex and urgent projects. Moskapstroy was often the only participant of such bidding, since other companies preferred simpler tasks. Moskapstroy not only took on challenging projects, but also made sure that they were executed flawlessly and exactly on time. One of these projects was the reconstruction of the Manege, an exhibition hall that burned down in 2004. The terms of the contract were demanding; it had tight deadlines and required compliance with the original 19th-century design. Leonid Monosov had worked on similar projects in the past (the Cathedral of Christ the Savior for instance), so he agreed to the project without hesitation and fulfilled all his obligations. The restoration of the Manege took less than 13 month; considering how much work had to be done, this was a truly impressive result. Builders restored the wooden structures according to the original design, expanded the underground spaces, and installed modern fire extinguishing and alarm systems.
Up until 2008, Moskapstroy was rapidly growing, but the financial crisis, which negatively affected the construction industry, forced Monosov to change its business strategy. He refocused it to residential property development on the outskirts of the capital, where real estate prices were lower, the environment was better, and demand in the housing market was higher. Moskapstroy built residential complexes in Mitino, Maryino, Northern and Southern Butovo, and some other districts of the capital. Largely thanks to Leonid Monosov’s competent leadership, the company managed to build and maintain long-lasting relationships with both clients and investors.
Starting a Company
In 2012, Leonid Monosov left Moskapstroy to set up his own business. For some time, Leonid researched the subject of investment. He learned how to calculate ROI for a project, how to determine the optimal amount of investment, and how to attract private investors. Investing was unfamiliar territory for Monosov, so it took him a lot of time to study the topic.
In 2022, Leonid Monosov became the vice president of Moskapstroy-TN JSC, an engineering company that invests in property development projects. The corporation’s portfolio includes the Topolya residential complex near the Bratislavskaya subway station and several commercial real estate properties. The company rents out spaces and sells apartments.
Personal Life
Leonid Monosov has two children. His son, Andrey Monosov, was born in 1981. Andrey forged his own path in the construction industry; he studied at Moscow State University of Civil Engineering and built a successful career in a big corporation. He was Deputy Minister of the Construction Complex of the Moscow Region and First Deputy Head of the Department of Capital Repairs of Moscow. Andrey received several awards of distinction in the course of his career.
Alina Monosova was born in 1990. She completed two degrees at MGIMO, studied as an exchange student in the UK, and received several diplomas and certificates in psychology, which she continues to study extensively. Alina plans to create a business in the future. She already had a project of her own before; her Odna Volna app was aimed at helping people find coaches and psychologists. The project had to be shut down because it began to take too much of Alina’s time and attention, distracting her from her main activities. However, Alina does not give up the idea of starting a business; nowadays, she is a co-author of a Telegram blog dedicated to style and fashion.
