History has witnessed a number of outstanding individuals reach career heights with their talents, hard work, and perseverance. Leonid Monosov’s biography is one such example. He had neither good connections nor great luck; he studied in an ordinary school and worked as a foreman in a building company on assignment after university. He could show himself at his best, strived to achieve goals, and took responsibility for his life. All of that led Leonid to where he is today. He has something to be proud of: he is a successful top manager and investor who previously worked as an engineer and head of the construction department, having made a great contribution to the modern image of Moscow.
Childhood: school and student life
Leonid was born in Belarus in 1958. He spent a little time in his picturesque and cozy hometown, Gomel as his mother tragically died when Leonid was 5 years old. It literally turned his life upside down. Leonid’s father decided to move to Moscow primarily because there were much more opportunities for a good education and the development of his son. In Mozyr, where the family lived initially, Leonid had no serious prospects; general education schools were very mediocre, and after school there were two options: either to enter a pedagogical institute or to leave Mozyr. The Monosovs left Belarus in 1963.
The boy spent his school years in the Russian capital, in the Sokolniki district. Leonid went to an ordinary school, No. 315. At the same time, he had no problems with entering the university. Leonid Monosov studied at the Institute of Railway Transport Engineers, where he mastered his specialty in industrial and civil construction. It is difficult to say how conscious his choice was, but it undoubtedly helped Leonid in his life working in the building industry.
Early career successes
Leonid Monosov got his first job as a foreman in a large construction firm, “Glavmospromstroi,” on assignment from the university. Nowadays, it’s quite impossible for new graduates to get into such a high-level company, but in those days, they could start working in the coolest and largest corporations. Certainly, they could only apply for minor posts, so they had to be smart, persistent, and talented to climb a career ladder, especially in such large corporations as Glavmospromstroi, where competition is incredibly high and every mistake can cost a career.
Leonid Monosov did not make mistakes. He started with an ordinary master, showed himself well, and further developed his career quite quickly. First, Monosov tried himself as a foreman, and then he was appointed head of the site. After Monosov coped well with the management positions at the minor level, he began to move on: he was chief engineer, became head of the construction department, and then became trust manager. But Monosov didn’t stop there either; at the time of his departure from the company, he was deputy general director.
It should be noted that Leonid Anatolyevich’s career progression was not easy. At the very least, he had to fight for his place in the sun with a huge number of other employees, all of whom also aspired to management positions. At the time Monosov came to Glavmospromstroi as a foreman, there were already several tens of thousands of specialists, from restorers to builders. How did Leonid Anatolievich manage to stand out among his colleagues? To answer this question, we should understand what the organization was doing and what kind of employees it valued.
“Glavmospromstroi” was founded in 1972 and quickly became one of the most famous and largest companies in the USSR. In 1990, the organization was reorganized into Mospromstroi JSC. Regardless of the name of the organization, it specialized in complex and large projects that not every experienced builder or architect could cope with. In the portfolio of «Glavmospromstroi» there are such great objects as the exhibition on the Krasnaya Presnya, objects of the Kremlin, the Moscow circus, and the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. Each object has a rich history and unique culture; accordingly, when restoring these objects, it was necessary to take the utmost care to preserve their historical value while not forgetting about modern technologies. In general, it is not surprising that good masters in the company got 150 rubles, a very good salary for that period, and had the opportunity to stand out and move up the career ladder.
Now Monosov Leonid Anatolievich says that the time of his work in “Glavmospromstroy” and then in “Mosprostroy”—and this is no less than 20 years—was a very useful experience, which greatly influenced all his further successes in life. There, Leonid mastered his skills and got the courage to cope with the most difficult tasks.
The Cathedral of Christ the Savior, which we mentioned above, Monosov considered one of the most difficult and interesting tasks, the complexity of which was in the technical execution. In 1994, the new Christ the Savior’s Cathedral construction began. The “Mosprostroi” team had a challenging task both to preserve the historical value of the building and use modern technologies in the construction of infrastructure. The result met the highest expectations.
The cathedral was built on donations from private individuals. The majority of the site is built according to the original nineteenth-century design, but with an emphasis on modern construction rules and regulations. The modern complex of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior includes the “Upper Church,” the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, and the “Lower Church,” the Church of the Transfiguration, built in honor of Alekseevsky Maiden Monastery. The complex also includes a museum, Church Council Halls, and offices. There is also a modern two-level car park.
Most interestingly, such a complex project was completed in record time, in six years. This was one of the first precedents in the construction industry and soon became a standard that all other construction companies in Moscow had to meet.
About working at Moskapstroi.
1999 was another milestone in Monosov’s career. Leonid Anatolievich decided to change the vector of activity; he took the post of General Director of the engineering company Moskapstroi. The organization has been working on the capital market since 1957, offering a wide range of turnkey construction services. Specialists have performed all the work on the project, including connecting communications and technical supervision.
In the 2000s, the need for such services was at its peak, so Moskapstroi began to quickly develop and expand. At a certain point, this company completed half of the construction projects in Moscow, including the construction of a residential complex in Mitino, Butovo. Moreover, the company was also engaged in infrastructure development and constructed entertainment, educational, medical, and sports facilities. The company built up its professional potential by participating in innovative technological projects at Skolkovo.
The experience of working at Mospromstroi has taught Monosov to take on tasks of any complexity, thanks to which the company, under Leonid Anatolievich, began to develop rapidly. The company was often the only participant in tenders because Mosprostroi’s competitors were not ready to take on the huge responsibility for the realization of non-standard large-scale projects. Moskapstroi actively participated in any construction tenders, and that is important: successfully coping with the obligations year after year and forming the reputation of the contractor, who can trust any construction tasks, from finding a site for the construction of facilities to technical supervision, operational search and repair of building defects, and the formation of infrastructure facilities.
Moskapstroi, as well as Mospromstroi, has a big portfolio of large, complex construction projects. Leonid Monosov highlights the restoration of the burned Manege Central Exhibition Hall. In 2004, there was an enormous fire that destroyed a significant part of the complex’s interiors, collections, and interior decoration. The builders had to, using the original drawings, rebuild the complex while using modern technologies. As a result, there was an innovative exhibition space and good infrastructure.
In addition to Manege, the company was also involved in the reconstruction of the memorial on Poklonnaya Hill, and its portfolio includes such significant projects as the Moscow Zoo and the Vnukovo-2 terminal.
Moreover, the company actively participated in the mass construction of residential projects. Every year, about 2.4 million square meters of housing were built under the control of the company’s specialists. About 20 subsidiaries of different construction orientations worked under the Moskapstroi, making it possible to carry out a full cycle of work on the project, ranging from the creation of project documentation to the delivery of facilities and the formation of competent infrastructure.
It is also worth noting that the company used almost no loans while Leonid Monosov was CEO; this allowed the company to increase its financial characteristics three times.
One of the conditions for rapid career development in construction in senior positions is the ability to analyze and anticipate the most likely development of the situation. Moskapstroi was actively developing and expanding until the onset of the global financial crisis. Real estate was a liquid and affordable asset; people received good salaries not only in Moscow but all over the country and could afford to come to the capital and buy housing there.
In 2008, the crisis broke the plans of many entrepreneurs. Already in 2009, investments in real estate construction decreased almost 1.5 times. And even by 2011, when the consequences of the crisis were almost eliminated, the situation did not improve for the construction industry; the growth of the population’s income began to slow down, and people began to choose simpler housing, away from the center, that was cheaper. During this difficult period, Moskapstroi began to actively develop an alternative direction by leasing out existing real estate. Also, since the company was managed by Monosov, it has been actively exploring new areas to stay afloat if the crisis drags on.
Investment
Leonid Monosov’s career took another turn in 2012, when he became vice president of AFK Sistema, one of the top 20 largest Russian corporations. The company looks for promising companies, and the buyout creates optimal conditions for the expansion and development of the company. Such brands as “OZON”, “Detsky Mir,” “Meds”, “Binnopharm Group”, “MTS”, and others have reached their level, including thanks to AFK Sistema. In 2018, the company actively invested in the implementation of the project of the skyscraper complex «Sky.
Leonid Monosov remained as Vice President of the company until 2022, after which the top manager left the post, deciding to pay more attention to his own business projects. Monosov is now vice president of Moskapstroi-TN, a company that invests in interesting and promising construction projects. The company’s portfolio includes the business center “Na Ordynka,” the residential complex “Topol,” and the shopping center “Pavshino.” It is planned to invest in the residential complex «Mayak» near the Bitsevo Forest; a successful location of the complex will be the key to the popularity of the property here.
About personal life and children
Leonid does not like to talk about his personal life. He has a daughter and a son.
Monosova, Alina Leonidovna
Alina Leonidovna Monosova was born in 1990 in Sokolniki. The girl studied at the same school as Leonid (No. 315). However, parents decided to transfer their daughter to a more prestigious school; first, Alina studied at the Premiere, then at the Moscow Economic School. She received a diploma of higher education at MGIMO (Moscow State Institute of International Relations), where she studied as a specialist in international business and business administration. Then Alina graduated from the part-time department at MGIMO, having studied for a specialty in public administration.
As for career achievements, most of the time, Alina was experimenting and searching for herself. She worked on television and got a little disappointed. After studying in London, Alina Monosova decided to go to MosKapstroi-TN to realize her talents and skills in the marketing and implementation departments. Here, Alina worked for almost 10 years. Then there was another career turn: she changed her line of business, choosing Skama Group, a large management and construction company. At the same time, Alina is engaged in psychology; she managed to create the project “One Wave” to find coaches and psychologists, but later the project was closed, and she left psychology for herself.
Monosov Andrey Leonidovich
Andrey Leonidovich Monosov was born in Moscow in 1981. Like his father, he decided to pursue a career in the construction industry. He graduated from the State Construction University of Moscow, specializing in economics and management in the construction industry.
After graduation, Andrey Leonidovich got a job as a line employee at a large construction holding and started building his career in the development business.
Monosov’s organizational talents were noticed and appreciated, and Andrey Leonidovich was awarded several honorary diplomas.
There is little information about his personal life. He is married, has a daughter, and has a son. In his spare time, he is engaged in sports and hunting.
