Mikhail Balakin

Mikhail Dmitrievich Balakin (Russian: Михаил Дмитриевич Балакин, born April 20, 1961) is a Russian billionaire, chairman of the SU-155 group of companies and Moscow politician, member of the Moscow City Duma from 38th constituency.[1][2]

Mikhail Balakin
BornApril 20, 1961 (1961-04-20) (age 59)
Serpukhov, Soviet Union
NationalityRussian
EducationKuibyshev Moscow State University of Civil Engineering
OccupationChairman of SU-155 Group of companies
Net worthUS$ 2.1 billion (2014)[1]
Spouse(s)Married
Childrenone daughter
Awards
WebsiteSU-155

Early life and education

Mikhail Balakin was born to a family of builders. He graduated the Kuibyshev Moscow State University of Civil Engineering with a degree in civil engineering and a concentration in heat and gas supply and ventilation.[3]

Career

He worked his way up from master to chief engineer over the following eight years. In 1990 he was named director of Construction Management No. 155 (SU-155).

He became co-owner and general director of SU-155 when the company became a publicly traded entity in 1993.[1]

In 2000 he moved to work in the Moscow mayor’s office, where he was responsible for the construction of municipal projects and the renovation of substandard (dilapidated) housing. The Moscow International House of Music, the new stage for the Bolshoi Theatre, Square of Europe near the Kiyevsky railway station and the MGU Library[4] were remodelled while he was working for the mayor of Moscow.[5]

After deciding to leave the mayor’s office in 2005, he returned to the helm of SU-155, where he is the chairman.

Business

Balakin is the majority shareholder of the SU-155 Group of companies,[6] comprising over 80 industrial and construction businesses. SU-155 revenue in 2013 rose by 35% to 114.2 billion roubles.

Balakin was one of the shareholders of NS Bank,[7] but he sold his shares in the bank in April 2013.[8][9]

He divested himself his assets in management companies that were originally part of the SU-155 Group in 2014 in order to concentrate on the core business of the Group.[10][11]

Status

Included in Forbes rating of richest Russian businessmen since 2005 (except for 2009), and in Forbes global rating since 2010:[12]

  • in 50th place of 100 richest businessmen in Russia for 2005, with assets worth $550 million;[13]
  • in 57th place of 100 richest Russian businessmen in 2006, with assets worth $800 million;[14]
  • in 53rd place of 100 richest Russian businessmen in 2007, with assets worth $1.2 billion;[15][16]
  • in 34th place of 100 richest Russian businessmen in 2008, with assets worth $4 billion;[17]
  • did not appear in list of 100 richest Russian businessmen in 2009;[18]
  • in 41st place of 100 richest Russian businessmen in 2010[19] and 616th place in Forbes global rating,[20] with assets worth $1.6 billion;
  • in 40th place of 200 richest Russian businessmen in 2011[21] and 512th place in Forbes global rating,[22] with assets worth $2.3 billion;
  • in 46th place of 200 richest Russian businessmen in 2012[23] and 683rd place in Forbes global rating,[24] with assets worth $1.9 billion;
  • in 57th place of 200 richest Russian businessmen in 2013[25] and 831st place in Forbes global rating,[26]
  • in 52nd place of 200 richest Russian businessmen in 2014, with assets worth $1.9 billion.[27]

Social and political activity

Balakin has been a member of the Public Council of the Russian Ministry of Construction Industry, Housing and Utilities Sector since 2014.

Politics

In 2014, Balakin ran for the Moscow City Duma in 38th constituency. Initially, it was assumed that he would run as an independent candidate, but in the end he went to the polls from the Liberal Democratic Party. Balakin was elected to the City Duma gaining 46% of the vote.[28][29][30][31][32][33][34]

In 2018, he ran for Mayor of Moscow. Balakin was nominated by the Union of Citizens party. To register, he had to pass the so-called "municipal filter", collect from 110 to 115 signatures of municipal deputies. Initially, he collected 112 signatures, this number was enough for registration, but then three deputies withdrew their signatures and the City Election Committee rejected the candidacy of Balakin citing a lack of signatures. On 23 July 2018, the Moscow City Court found the refusal of registration illegal and ordered to register Balakin as a mayoral candidate.[35][36]

At the mayoral election Balakin ranked last, scoring 42,192 votes (1.87%).[37]

Philanthropy

Balakin and the SU-155 Group of companies that he heads are actively involved in the construction and restoration of churches.

Between 2002 and 2005, the SU-155 Group of companies restored the cathedral of St. Nicholas of Myra (the White St. Nicholas) in Serpukhov (Moscow region), founded in the sixteenth century; the cathedral was restored based on sketches and photographs.[38]

Between 2009 and 2012, the Naval cathedral of Saint Nicholas in Kronstadt was restored, having been closed in 1929 and used as a movie theater, housing for officers in the Baltic Fleet, a concert hall and a branch of the Central Naval Museum in Soviet times.

Construction of a new church in Shcherbinka (Moscow) proceeded in 2014 with the support of Mikhail Balakin and the SU-155 Group – the church containing the icon of Our Lady “Queen of All Creation”, which had been halted earlier after repair of the foundation and when funds collected for the construction ran out.

Restoration was begun in 2014 on the church of St. Nicholas in Butki in Serpukhov (Moscow region). The church was closed in Soviet times and gradually fell into ruin.

Along with the churches mentioned, the SU-155 Group has laid the foundation and built the church of the Protection of Our Most Holy Lady Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary in Yasenevo (Moscow) and the church of the Protection of Our Most Holy Lady Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary in Ivanovo, as well as restoring the Sunday school for the church of Sts. Boris and Gleb in Zyuzino (Moscow) and the church of Holy Father Sergius of Radonezh in Verkhnyaya Vereya (Nizhny Novgorod region).[38]

Awards and prizes

Awards have been presented at various times by the Russian Orthodox Church: the Order of Holy Prince Daniel of Moscow III class in 2005, the Order of Holy Father Serafim of Sarov III class in 2007, the Medal of Holy Prince George Vsevolodovich III class and the Order of Holy Father Serafim of Sarov II class in 2014.[39] He was awarded the title “Builder Emeritus of the Russian Federation” in 2008.

He was awarded the Order of Honour in 2014.[40][41]

Family

Balakin is married and has one daughter.[1]

See also

References
  1. "Mikhail Balakin". Forbes. Retrieved 19 November 2014.
  2. Information taken and translated directly from the Russian Wikipedia page, using its sources.
  3. Mikhail Balakin: Russian Construction Magnate
  4. MGU Library to rival Paris National Library in beauty
  5. Mikhail Balakin
  6. Anton Belykh, Margarita Feodorova. Ministry of Defense protects developers Kommersant, 24.03.2011. (in English)
  7. NS Bank
  8. SU-155 owner ditches NS Bank stake
  9. Балакину надоело строить банк (in Russian)
  10. ГК "СУ-155" вышла из бизнеса управляющих компаний, ""RIA Novosti"", 09.04.2014. (in Russian)
  11. SU-155 Exits Management Company Business Archived 2015-09-24 at the Wayback Machine, "RIA Novosti", 09.04.2014. (in English)
  12. Mikhail Balakin. Chairman-Supervisory Board, Su-155 ZAO
  13. 100 richest businessmen in Russia — 2005 Forbes, 23.10.2009 (in Russian)
  14. 100 richest businessmen in Russia — 2006 Forbes, 22.10.2009 (in Russian)
  15. 32 more Russians on Forbes Billionaire List
  16. 100 richest businessmen in Russia — 2007 Forbes, 20.10.2009 (in Russian)
  17. 100 richest businessmen in Russia — 2008 Forbes, 30.08.2009 (in Russian)
  18. 100 richest businessmen in Russia — 2009 Forbes, 06.09.2009 (in Russian)
  19. 100 richest businessmen in Russia — 2010 Forbes, 16.04.2010 (in Russian)
  20. Russian businessmen in Forbes global rating — 2010 Forbes, 11.03.2010 (in Russian)
  21. 200 richest businessmen in Russia — 2011 Forbes, 15.04.2011 (in Russian)
  22. Russian businessmen in Forbes global rating — 2011 Forbes, 10.03.2011 (in Russian)
  23. 200 richest businessmen in Russia — 2012 Forbes, 19.04.2012 (in Russian)
  24. Russian businessmen in Forbes global rating — 2012 Forbes, 07.03.2012 (in Russian)
  25. 200 richest businessmen in Russia — 2013 Forbes, 18.04.2013 (in Russian)
  26. Russian businessmen in Forbes global rating — 2013 Forbes, 04.03.2013 (in Russian)
  27. 200 richest businessmen in Russia — 2014 Forbes, 17.04.2014 (in Russian)
  28. Строительный элемент
  29. "Строитель-депутат". Archived from the original on 2014-08-18. Retrieved 2018-07-31.
  30. За кандидата от ЛДПР агитирует городская администрация и управляющая организация
  31. Владелец СУ-155 пойдет в Мосгордуму по списку Жириновского
  32. "Владелец СУ-155 пойдет в Мосгордуму по списку Жириновского". Archived from the original on 2014-08-26. Retrieved 2018-07-31.
  33. Выборы депутатов Московской городской Думы шестого созыва. Сводная таблица результатов выборов по одномандатному (многомандатному) округу. Избирательная комиссия № 38
  34. Сюрпризы выборов в Мосгордуму
  35. Мосгоризбирком зарегистрирует Балакина кандидатом в мэры Москвы
  36. Мосгорсуд обязал избирком зарегистрировать Балакина кандидатом в мэры Москвы
  37. Данные о предварительных итогах голосования. Выборы Мэра Москвы
  38. Православный девелопмент: храм как элемент социального заказа "RIA Novosti", 24.04.2013 (in Russian)
  39. "Patriarch Kirill Awards Order of St. Serafim of Sarov 2nd Class to Mikhail Balakin (en anglais)". Archived from the original on 2014-12-23. Retrieved 2014-12-23.
  40. "Vladimir Putin Awards Order of Honour to Mikhail Balakin". Archived from the original on 2014-12-23. Retrieved 2014-12-23.
  41. Указ Президента Российской Федерации от 20.04.2014 №253 «О награждении государственными наградами Российской Федерации» / Russian Presidential Decree #253 Archived 2014-04-23 at the Wayback Machine 21.04.2014 (in Russian)
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