- During your career, you have done anything: from the mining industry and the banking business to helping charitable foundations. What interests you now?
- I have never been able to drive myself into a frame in every sense of the word, so every day I found time for a large number of completely different activities. But do you know what I'm thinking now? Confucius said that when you find what you like, you will never have to work again. I have no idea of work: I do not spend in the office from 9 am to 5 pm or 6 pm. There is no such task. But there is a task to do what you really like, live your projects, play with your child, spend time with loved ones. I hope to leave a better world for my children than the one I received from my parents. That's all. I do business as much as I can, I do charity work as much as I can, I travel a lot as much as I can, I write to magazines, I star in TV shows, and so on. For the last few years, I have been building a new format of an intellectual partner in the real estate industry EVANS.
- For a businessman, this is a progressive concept - to try to make the world a better place, but to live for your own pleasure; trying to do something not only for yourself, not just making money endlessly.
- Money in general for me is neither a yardstick nor a motivator.
- Why is the majority of people so focused on them? Even those who have made huge fortunes cannot stop.
- There is no such thing that some people are bad and others are good. It's just that everyone is different. And when you understand this, life becomes easier. I have never condemned anyone in my life. Someone thinks that I live correctly, while others, on the contrary, disagree with my approach. The choice is up to everyone, but the taste for life and awareness, which is important, does not in any way correlate with the size of the state.
- You have been helping the Vera charitable foundation for a long time, whose collections have increased from 62 million to half a billion rubles during this time. Are there any specific schemes for how such funds should work?
- "Vera" is already a large established fund. I continue to help him, actively participate in the board of the foundation. In 2015, my friends and I founded the Friends Foundation. It was supposed to be called the "Fund of Foundations", since in its ideology it was aimed at helping other charitable organizations. But Ivan Urgant came and said that he was against such a name. “The Fund of Foundations is like Jan Yanovsky,” he said. Then we thought about what unites us all - friendship. This is how the Friends Foundation was formed.
Many come to this industry (and charity is an industry) because of emotion. They have lost a loved one, are trying to help and want to change something, they want to somehow reduce their pain. One way or another, emotion alone is not enough. There must be processes, procedures, there must be expertise. Therefore, the slogan of our foundation is “Charity as a profession”. The first thing we do is educate. We have educational modules, where we train both employees of charitable foundations and people from business who are just entering this industry. Second, foundations come to us for help and ask for money. We don’t give money in our hands, but we pay for implants, which are employed by the fund for a period of two years and during this time must change the work of the organization, raise the fund to a qualitatively new level. The third part. See, you are a media expert. You are ready to volunteer for the foundation, but you are not ready, for example, to clean the floors in a hospice. Your media expertise can help a lot. But you are willing to commit to helping two hours a month or five hours a year. Who needs your five hours a year, where do you find such a fund? Therefore, we created a platform ProCharity, where individuals, as well as small businesses and large corporations will be able to donate (donation - ed.) In the form of their time, and the system will link them to a request from a fund that needs such specific assistance. We are creating a marketplace (market - editor's note) for our industry.
1 of 9 © facebook.com/pg/FriendsFund © facebook.com/pg/FriendsFund © facebook.com/pg/FriendsFund © facebook.com/pg/FriendsFund © facebook.com/pg/FriendsFund © facebook.com/pg/ FriendsFund © facebook.com/pg/FriendsFund © facebook.com/pg/FriendsFund © facebook.com/pg/FriendsFund
- Are there many such people who want to help? And the funds that turn to you for support?
- Fortunately, a lot. But there is a problem with the funds themselves. They often fail to translate their query into the correct business language. The task is not only to unite them with professionals who are ready to donate their time, but also to correctly broadcast the request from the funds.
- How do you assess the situation with funds in our country? Their number is increasing every year.
- Yes, it is increasing, but not only the quantity, but also the quality must grow.
- Many proceed from the fact that they think to help at least with a small deed, work in some small segment. As a specialist, what would you do? What advice would you give to a person who is just going to open his own charitable foundation?
- First of all, find out what funds already exist on a topic that is close to him and which he wants to work on. Doing your homework is always right. To avoid doing the same thing twice. Because it's always easier together. I know that many foundations, despite the many difficulties, are merging. This is important for working with donors and systemic fundraising. But also in order to remove ineffective funds from the field.
Ralph Lauren cardigan, Science Fiction bow tie, Ermenegildo Zegna shirt, Tateossian cufflinks - all from the Big Size corner © Alexander Murashkin
- What are our most successful funds?
- "Give life. " If you asked about this fund ten years ago, everyone would say that they do not remember this, but they remember that Chulpan Khamatova has some kind of fund. Now "Give Life" is a brand. Chulpan is great, and her team is super professional. They were able to build a brand for the foundation. "Faith", of course. Khabensky Foundation. I believe that a few years ago few people knew about the fund, but the whole team made it so that it is now one of the largest. Life Line. It was originally a corporate fund for Alfa Group, but it has grown into a full-fledged fund, which now largely does not depend on Alfa.
- What is your attitude towards Moscow social life?
- I consider many representatives of secular Moscow my friends. And criticism of a secular society is the snobbery and complexes of those who criticize. More than once I watched secular Moscow mobilize to help people in different situations: from supporting flood victims in Tbilisi to buying video equipment for the students of Alexander Nikolaevich Sokurov. The Foundation "Friends"annually organizes two fundraising events - Charity Battle, one in Moscow, the other in St. Petersburg. The next one will take place in Moscow on November 15. We ask the best businessmen in the country - those who in ordinary life are known for their strong character and often do not like each other - to go on stage and sing. Attending our evening is paid for everyone, even my wife. And so all secular Moscow comes to us to spend money, realizing what an important matter we collect them for. And my friends, famous secular heroes - Sofiko Shevardnadze, Polina Kitsenko, Matilda Shnurova, Oksana Lavrentieva, Alexander Rappoport and many others - work all evening selling sweets and drinks, preparing special dishes. As a rule, they call themselves and ask how to help.
- What's the cover charge?
- At the entrance, you must purchase a minimum set of chips in the amount of 10 thousand rubles, which a guest can spend during the evening on voting for his favorite artist and on various charity activities.
- Is this an event for all people? Or for some chosen circle?
- This event is for those who were invited there.
© Alexander Murashkin
- What do you spend your free time on?
- The priorities are changing. I am a young father, the child is one and a half years old. For the same secular society, it was new that my wife and I go everywhere with our child. Even social events cannot do without him. Everyone asks if we really don't have a nanny, but we just like it. Work - I love my job very much, - social projects, sports. I love traveling. I love to be on the road.
- When you choose a country to travel, what are your guides? The ones that haven't been there yet?
- I often travel for work. But if you have a free day and you can rush to another country - this is also important. I have a list of countries that I haven’t been to yet, but where I really want to go. I'm interested in seeing local art, I always make appointments with gallery owners. In Mongolia, the head of the Art Council spent a day with me in the selection of paintings for purchase.
- What is your most vivid travel memory lately? What did you tell all your friends, what did you advise?
- I travel very little in Russia. And then, unplanned, I found myself two hours from Rostov-on-Don in Utkino Country House. This is a place of power. I have sold hundreds of companies in my banking years. I know most of the big businessmen in Russia. And none of them told me that he was building any business in Russia for a long time, for his children and grandchildren. Alexey Frolov is an exception to this rule. His project was built on private funds, without borrowed capital, and is aimed at the development of an entire region, and not at all at a momentary result. This is a long game. More than $ 100 million was invested in the complex, everything was done according to the mind.
Cortigiani cardigan, Science Fiction bow tie, Ermenegildo Zegna shirt - all from the Big Size corner. Jacket (in the hands of Jan) Windsor
© Alexander Murashkin
- Will you come back there again?
- With pleasure. It was an interesting experience. There is also Jurmala. We were there with the whole family in the summer. What a wonderful life there! An hour from Moscow, for the child there are many different programs, excellent teachers, wonderful staff who speak Russian, which greatly facilitates the living of numerous relatives. The cost of living is also important. The math is simple. A vacation in Jurmala is one-fifth of the cost of a vacation in Monaco.
- How do you spend your time in Monaco?
- We love Monaco with the whole family. It was there that our son was born. This is the place where we slow down, forget what traffic jams are, rarely take a car from the garage, and prefer to take a bus to our friends in another area. During the spring months there my wife took the car only five times - and then only to take me to the airport or meet me. In the morning you leave the house, cross the road - and already on the beach. Monaco is great until your children are five years old. The quality of school education there leaves much to be desired, especially in English.
- And when the child turns five years old, where then? In London?
- A separate story is connected with this. When my son was born in Monaco, my first call was not to my mom and dad, but to a school in London. There are several schools where you need to register for your birthday. I don't know if my son will study in London, but just in case there is such an option.
Anyway, the English accent sells well
- Vadim Moshkovich, the owner of Rusagro, is going to start educating talented children. Does this story in Russia have the right to be successful? Is it possible to make a private institution a place that would be recognized everywhere in the world?
- I am not an expert enough in this matter to answer. I received my school education in Russia and France, and higher education in America and Switzerland. There are pros and cons everywhere. Recently, a friend of our family took all three children homeschooling. This is the parents' choice. The main thing is that the child is good. Considering that my wife is a psychologist, I really hope that we can make the right choice not for ourselves, but for the child.
Eduard Dressler coat, Brioni scarf, Science Fiction butterfly, Ermenegildo Zegna shirt - all from the Big Size corner © Alexander Murashkin
- The advantage of overseas education is that the child gets the necessary connections.
- Connections are very good. But it still depends on where the child wants to live. If a child is going to live in Russia, he had better go to school 57 - and get connections there. If the strategy is to go to the West, then don't waste time and start studying in the country where you plan to settle. But anyway, the English accent sells well.
- If we talk about your manner of dressing, what is important to you? There is also a need for business meetings: suit, tie, shirt. You can't get away from them, right?
- I sometimes move away from jackets towards jumpers and cardigans. I can afford it. I like to dress well and there are brands that have been with me for many years. The same Ermenegildo Zegna, I have been their client since 2002. I constantly update the collection from year to year.
- Is there a characteristic element of style? Like cardigans and butterflies?
- I have a large collection of butterflies. Lately they have been given to me, there is even a wooden one, although I don't think I will ever wear it. Many people tell me that I can wear scarves, I also have a large collection of them. I like them, only ties - it's still very boring. I am also interested in making my own shoes. Sometimes I bother, I fly to the shoe makers, sit next to them, choose leather, trim. But this is all for fun - the main thing is not to lose focus. Making the world a better place.
The Big Size corner on the second floor of TSUM presents clothes (from 60 to 70 sizes) and footwear (from 46 to 50 sizes) from the world's leading brands - Brioni, Zilli, Barrett, Bilancioni, Brax, Cortigiani, Eduard Dressler, Moorer, Napoleone Erba, Pal Zileri, Paul & Shark, Windsor.