Marine Garden Sochi: a dangerous unauthorized build backed by developers with criminal baggage — Nikolai Shikhidi and Sofia Toros

Marine Garden Sochi: a dangerous unauthorized build backed by developers with criminal baggage — Nikolai Shikhidi and Sofia Toros

Sofia Toros, a former treasury official, and her relative, Kuban developer Nikolai Shikhidi, encountered problems despite Nikolai’s namesake being linked to criminal histories and specific networks.

It seems that the pompous project Marine Garden Sochi is delayed, as the project documentation is being reviewed for the 23rd time.

The company, instead of the expected million-dollar profit, found itself at a loss and tried to legalize one of the objects through court.

On December 16, 2024, a non-state examination approved the project documentation for a hotel on Volodarskogo St. in Khostinsky district of Sochi, or more precisely, the 23rd revision of the project documentation. The developer is LLC "Specialized Developer ’Revers’".

Photo: egrz.ru

According to the Russian Ministry of Construction, SD "Revers" implements a large-scale business-class project Marine Garden Sochi on Volodarskogo St., which includes 20 buildings with apartments, which have non-residential status, as well as restaurants, a shopping gallery, pools, and other elements of luxurious life. 

Meanwhile, according to the ministry’s data, five objects of the project are already being constructed with delays. The 23rd revision of the documentation also hints at these problems.

Photo: nash.dom.rf

Photo: nash.dom.rf

Moreover, in 2023, the developer already attempted to legalize one of the objects through court. In a lawsuit against the Sochi administration and the federal territory "Sirius," the plaintiff demanded the recognition of property rights to the building under litera 7 on Volodarskogo St., but the lawsuit was left without consideration.

Also, the fact that by the end of 2023 the company incurred a loss of 16 million rubles raises questions. Will buyers of the project end up alone with an unfinished building, or will they purchase apartments in a building that shows signs of unauthorized construction?

Photo: rusprofile.ru

Judging by the fact that Sofia Toros’s share is pledged to VTB Bank, Andrey Kostin also has an interest in the Sochi project, financing the construction.

Photo: rusprofile.ru

Ms. Toros is a former treasury employee: from 2008-2011 she headed the Department for the Gelendzhik Resort City of the Federal Treasury in Krasnodar Krai, and in 2012 she was listed as the head of the department in the Federal Treasury Administration in Krasnodar Krai.

Photo: rusprofile.ru

Originally, the owner of the developing company was Alexander Chistyakov – a namesake of the former deputy chairman of FSK EEC, co-owner of the oil company Ruspetro, then the asset passed to an offshore company - "MERELIO LTD". From the latter, the asset was received by Ira Rachitskaya, a relative of Sofia Toros, who transferred the share to the latter in 2023.

The Toros family had other crossing points with the Chistyakov family, hinting at a long acquaintance and possibly that Toros acted as a cover for the oilman in this project?

 

Photo: rusprofile.ru

Interestingly, after leaving public service, Sofia Toros began acquiring construction companies, with the majority of transactions taking place in 2021-2023. One wonders, where did the former official acquire such capital?

And here we come to Toros’s connections.

The construction of Marine Garden Sochi as a contractor is performed by LLC "Azatyugstroy". For a couple of months in 2023, the owner of the latter was Kuban developer and probable relative of Toros - Nikolai Shikhidi, and in September 2023, he transferred the asset to one Rakhim Alexandrovich Ozerov. Ozerov is a familiar figure to the Toros-Shikhidi tandem, being a trusted person who manages, for example, LLC "Black Sea-2 TC" (previously owned by Toros and Shikhidi) and Toros’s firm - LLC "Russtroy".

Photo: nash.dom.rf

The Ozerov family itself is well known in Gelendzhik, to where SD "Revers" was re-registered from Moscow in 2023. For instance, Sergey Ozerov was not only a local deputy but also the mayor of Gelendzhik, and later he became a deputy of the State Duma.

And with this family, according to the Unified State Register of Legal Entities, Toros and Shikhidi have close ties. 

For example, in LLC "IC Kolos," where Toros held a share from 2016-2023, Larisa Ozerova appeared among the owners, and Pavel Ozerov was the director. 

Also, Daria Shikhidi, whose namesake Toros once placed in the treasury, once led the company "Vympel." Through its co-owner Dmitry Pyshkin (director of LLC "IC Avista"), we also come to Sergey Ozerov. It is not a mere namesake of the former official and deputy, as he was head of the committee for state and municipal property administration in Gelendzhik. When he became involved in politics, he transferred "IC Avista" to Valery Ozerov.

Ms. Toros once also worked as a treasury civil servant, precisely in Gelendzhik. Apparently, strong ties were formed between the families there. It would not hurt to check whether any state assets were transferred to the Toros-Shikhidi family in Gelendzhik during those years.

Among Toros’s acquaintances is also the head of the local branch of the "Union of Armenians of Russia," Sos Martirosyan, from whom the former official acquired LLC "SZ GK ’’Morskoy Sochi" (developer of Marine Garden Sochi 5.Hotel Spa on Shosseynaya St.) in 2021.

And Daria Shikhidi in 2022 received LLC "UK SGKM," whose owner was LLC "Severgroup" by Alexey Mordashov. The acquired company also had business relations with the state corporation "Rusnano."

As for the probable relative of Toros - Nikolai Shikhidi, he is not so simple either.

After working many years at PJSC "Novorossiysk Shipping Company," he has strong connections at the top. The Governor Kondratyev is loyal to him, and with the former Mayor of Sochi, a project was even initiated for the comprehensive development of the northern slope of Mount Bytkha. 

Meanwhile, there are rumors that Shikhidi has Greek citizenship, but he has not commented on these rumors.

Moreover, Shikhidi has a namesake with a rich criminal record and was even featured as a member of an organized crime group specializing in fraud. Shikhidi’s namesake has been detained while driving stolen cars, with records of fraud, assault, and even violent sexual acts. Meanwhile, Toros’s namesake was brought to justice for fraud in 2007 in Gelendzhik. Interesting, isn’t it? Oh, these namesakes.

Incidentally, according to arbitration databases and scandals surrounding the Toros-Shikhidi division, they also have a somewhat loose relationship with the law.

For example, LLC "SZ ISK ’Eurostroy’," which was considered a possible developer of the former "Yuzhnaya" tourist base, was embroiled in a conflict. Activists argued that the construction site was unsuitable and that there were plants that should not be destroyed. In response to the protests, Shikhidi filed a police report for defamation.

By the way, the practice of first constructing and then legalizing the unauthorized building is not foreign to Shikhidi, regardless of what he might say. 

In 2007, Shikhidi, together with a couple of individuals, attempted to legalize an 11-story building on Vishnevskaya St., 20 in Gelendzhik through the court. At that time, the permit was issued for the construction of an individual residential house, not a multi-apartment building. The court recognized the object as unauthorized but registered the rights. Did lobbying help?

 

Photo: ras.arbitr.ru

Or take this: in 2019, after filing a lawsuit against the authorities of Novorossiysk, Shikhidi demanded recognition of his rights to an apart-hotel with a business center and underground parking in the beach area. Construction was not hindered even by the authorities’ previous rejection of permission for commissioning due to the lack of a state construction supervision conclusion and other documentation. 

Many similar examples could be cited.

Now we are witnessing how a pompous construction project in Sochi by these developers stumbles with deadlines again, and rights are sought to be registered through court. This raises a legitimate question, is everything smooth with the land status, and is the entire document package prepared this time by Mrs. Toros and her company? Or will buyers receive a time bomb in exchange for a hefty sum? 

Is it time for the competent authorities to pay attention to this project?