Belarusian capitalism: How they deal with undesirables at Expobel. A world-class exhibition center is being built in Belarus

EC Aquabel, Eria, Pan Market, real estate in Minsk and the Minsk region, the Expobel shopping and entertainment center, the Aquabel business center, the Aquabel sports and fitness center, an agricultural branch in the Minsk region, investments in residential real estate in Minsk and the Minsk region.

Social activities, hobbies

Master of Sports of the USSR in sambo, Master of Sports of the USSR in judo, multiple winner of championships and cups of the BSSR and all-Union tournaments in 1975-1982, honorary consul of Nicaragua in Belarus.

Persons

Sergei and Alexander Sinkevich (partners, brothers), Anatoly Shumchenko (head of the Perspective business association), Boris Batura (ex-head of the Minsk region).

Facts

The reorganization of shopping complexes, which was started by Pyotr Sinkevich, expectedly caused indignation among tenants. In mid-2015, when entrepreneurs in the automotive and construction markets were told that their leases were expiring and they had to move to a new location, the conflict reached its climax. But in the end, the businessman, who had previously successfully dealt with an internal corporate conflict, managed to solve this problem as well.

As part of the business development program, Pyotr Sinkevich planned to move all markets (automotive, construction and clothing) to indoor premises, create additional infrastructure and build a parking lot and cinema. The area of ​​Expobel after completion of the project will increase to 145 thousand square meters.

In March 2015, Alexander Lukashenko visited the Expobel complex of Pyotr Sinkevich, after a long break, and decided to personally discuss problems with the private sector. The immediate reason for the meeting was the state’s intention to ban, from May 1, 2015, the sale of remnants of light industry products imported from the countries of the Customs Union without the appropriate documents about their origin. As a result, this deadline was extended until January 1, 2016.

In 2015, Petr Sinkevich announced the start of a new project located in geographical proximity to his complexes. The company Eria, which belongs to him, planned to build a sports and recreation complex with tennis courts in the Zeleny Lug microdistrict. Its area will be 7 thousand square meters. meters.

A 2-hectare site for the construction of a tennis center in the north-east of Minsk was allocated to the Eria company based on a decree of the President of Belarus. The facility will be built in the Zeleny Lug microdistrict, in the recreational zone of the Slepyanskaya water system, its planned area is 7 thousand square meters. m. One of the largest physical education and health centers in the Belarusian capital will include four indoor tennis courts, squash courts, a health complex with a 25-meter swimming pool, gyms, as well as a restaurant with 100 seats. The project also includes outdoor tennis courts and grounds for beach tennis and mini-football.
Currently, the English company Leslie Jones Architecture is developing architectural and construction projects By this object, and architects and engineers of Belzarubezhstroy are adapting them to Belarusian standards. Initially, the customer formulated the main idea as follows: “to offer the Belarusian client something different from what is already available in Belarus, that is, fundamentally new: architecture, aesthetics and interior, created by European architects,” the press service of Belzarubezhstroy reported.
It should be noted that this is not the first collaboration between Leslie Jones Architecture and the company of Peter Sinkevich. Previously, this British architectural bureau developed the concept of expansion and reconstruction of the largest in Minsk shopping center"Expobel", within the walls of which Alexander Lukashenko recently visited problematic issues activities of IP officers.

Clothing and construction markets. Today the complex operates as usual, and the owners have plans for its large-scale reconstruction . the site found out what changes entrepreneurs and buyers need to prepare for.

Develop new project the Expobel shopping center began at the end of 2013, the co-owner clarifies Petr Sinkevich. "The shopping and entertainment center was put into operation 8 years ago, so there was a need for its reconstruction. To develop a preliminary design, we turned to the international architectural bureau Leslie Jones Architecture, which thought out the concept for the development of Expobel", explains the reasons for the reconstruction, Pyotr Sinkevich.

The British company employs architects high level. "It was important to us that the renovation process be carried out with the least inconvenience for both shopping center visitors and tenants. The designers at Leslie Jones Architecture have worked on some of the most significant shopping center projects around the world, and their professional experience allowed us to organize the renovation process without significant damage to its operation at all stages of construction", - explains the development adviser of Expobela Evgeniy Perventsev.

The Committee of Architecture and Urban Planning of the Minsk City Executive Committee has already approved the draft version of the reconstruction. The development of the architectural design is now being completed.

“Although the economic situation is deteriorating, we are trying to improve the operation of the complex and make it more attractive to buyers.For this purpose, there is a group of specialists and consultants who understand how to build a complex correctly, so that tenants who are concerned about the upcoming changes will also have a good time" , - says the co-owner of the shopping and entertainment center.

Indeed, not all tenants support the reconstruction of the trade and exhibition complex. Some of them complain that due to construction there will be fewer buyers, of whom there are already few. In addition, entrepreneurs fear that due to the move to new pavilions, rental rates may rise.

In response to the dissatisfaction of some tenants, Pyotr Sinkevich recalls how in 2002 entrepreneurs did not want to move from the Aquabel clothing wholesale market, which was located 500 meters from the current shopping center. “It took a lot of effort to convince them of the need for this step.Then entrepreneurs were also indignant, they said why are you building a new facility if there is a market. And having moved to a new exhibition complex 13 years ago, they received comfortable conditions of a fundamentally new level. Later, life forced it - they rebuilt it into a shopping center. Now there is a need for its reconstruction.", says Pyotr Sinkevich.

There is no way to avoid some inconveniences for both entrepreneurs and buyers, agrees the co-owner of Expobel. " But we will try to keep them to a minimum. We either reconstruct a new shopping center and develop further, or we remain at the same level, eventually turning into an archaic shopping center.", - Peter Sinkevich clarified.

New food market, road and underground passage

At the first stage of reconstruction, Expobel management plans to complete the project in 1.5-2 months. interior decoration in the multifunctional center building, which is located with reverse side main complex ( on the map - indicated by a red circle. - Approx. website). By September, a food market will be located here, where meat, dairy products, vegetables, fruits, and groceries will be sold. “This market will be a continuation of the existing shopping center and will be similar in format to European city bazaars.Entry to the market will be from the outside construction market, and the main center" , - Pyotr Sinkevich clarifies.

Both fruit and vegetable traders from the current open area, as well as new entrepreneurs, will move to the multifunctional center. The existing open food market will continue to operate in the same place, the co-owner of the center assured.

Open markets - construction and automobile - will be located next to the multifunctional center.

“In parallel with the work in the multifunctional center to improve traffic conditions at the entrance to the shopping and entertainment complex, the installation of a traffic-lightless entrance from Miroshnichenko Street is now being completed”, - Evgeny Perventsev clarified. To do this, three pavilions at the construction market had to be moved. Two entrepreneurs agreed to move, they were provided with new sites under the same conditions, another one refused.

“The agreements with these tenants were valid until June 30, 2015. All tenants who were affected by the relocation of retail locations were notified within the terms specified in the lease agreement of the need to move to new site. The lease terms for new retail space have not changed. In addition, they were provided with rental holidays during the move.", - added Evgeny Perventsev.

In the future, the site of the construction and automobile markets will be replaced by a pedestrian zone, and part of the territory will be occupied by an expanded bypass road.

From the side of the Logoisky tract, a pedestrian bridge will appear over the road, and from the side of Miroshnichenko Street (in the area of ​​​​the current automobile market) - an underground passage.

According to Peter Sinkevich, cars will be able to drive around the complex without hindrance. " The problem of pedestrian safety will be solved, they will not cross the roadway, and motorists will not leave their cars on the road.Traffic jams around and on the territory of the shopping complex will be a thing of the past.", - says Pyotr Sinkevich.

Vegetables and fruits will “move” under the roof

After the launch of the grocery center and the relocation of the construction and automobile markets, the second stage of reconstruction will begin. In the place where kiosks with vegetables and fruits are currently located, they plan to build a new two-story building in two years. Its area will be 30 thousand square meters. For comparison: the area of ​​the current open clothing and food markets is 21 thousand square meters.

“It is planned to transfer all open trading floors to the new building - clothing, automobile, construction, and food. Its space will be enough not only for current tenants, but also for new entrepreneurs.With the move to a new modern building, not only the conditions for buyers, but also the working conditions of the entrepreneurs themselves will radically improve.", - Evgeny Perventsev voices his plans.

Until a new two-story shopping building is built, the open clothing market (also called the Chinese market) will operate in the same place, the administration assures. Now entrepreneurs are installing awnings over shopping arcades.

“The Council of Entrepreneurs appealed to the administration of the Expobel shopping center to coordinate the placement of a canopy structure to protect visitors and goods from weather factors (rain, sun, etc.) according to the project developed by a specialized organization. In turn, the administration assisted in the approval of the project by the Ministry of Emergency Situations. In at the moment The project is undergoing additional approvals", - said the manager of Expobel. Ilya Mikhailovsky.

A parking lot and a cinema will be built at Expobel

After the launch of the new building and the transfer of all open markets to it, the administration will begin the reconstruction of the main building of Expobel. In front of the main entrance, another building will be completed, into which a food hypermarket will move. On the other side of the main Expobela building, on the site of the current clothing market, which will have been moved by that time, a covered building will also be added. A multiplex cinema, a construction hypermarket, cafes and restaurants will also appear here.

In parallel, it is planned to begin construction of a 4-story parking lot for 2,500 cars. It will appear on the side of the multifunctional center. After the commissioning of parking and new open parking lots, the number of parking spaces at Expobel will increase to 4,200.

In the future, another building will appear on this site, into which a hypermarket will be moved.

"In the future, Expobel will be a single building. Its area will be 145 thousand square meters. All buildings will be under a roof. It will operate as a single shopping complex. There will be nothing on the street, except for some parking spaces", - Pyotr Sinkevich voices his plans.

"No one will infringe on entrepreneurs"

Meanwhile, entrepreneurs have accumulated many questions for the management of Expobel. For example, investors in construction and car markets are worried about their retail space and are concerned whether the rental rate will increase due to moving to a new trading platform. The Expobel administration says that not a single entrepreneur will be left without a retail space during the reconstruction, and in July new contracts will be concluded with them; during the construction of a new site at the multifunctional center, the rental rate will not change.

“No one will infringe on entrepreneurs; the well-being of any shopping center directly depends on the success of tenants. Moreover, they do not intend to stop trade during reconstruction. In the future, it will be possible to transport goods to a new site near the multifunctional center, for example, on Monday, when the market is not open Our efforts will be aimed at ensuring that the market does not stand idle, especially in the current difficult times. economic conditions, - says Ilya Mikhailovsky.

Evgeny Perventsev adds that when moving to a new open area Rental rates will not increase for entrepreneurs in the construction and automotive markets. “As for the planned indoor building, no one can give you a mathematically accurate forecast of what the economic situation in the world and with regard to rental rates in particular will be, for example, in two to three years. We are monitoring the situation with rental rates in the city and We start from market indicators", - Evgeny Perventsev clarified.

And yet, some tenants from the construction market are planning to move out. For example, the owner of a sales pavilion paint and varnish materials intends to rent a retail outlet in the new Kamennaya Gorka microdistrict. "Rental prices are lower, you can find an option for 10 euros per square meter, and the flow of buyers is guaranteed for at least 4 years. And in this market it happens that in a week I sell only a couple of goods. In addition, in January our rent was raised by about 30%.", - the IP officer shared his plans.

“According to the generally accepted practice of operating shopping (as well as business) centers, the rental rate is denominated in conventional units. Accordingly, rental payments expressed in Belarusian rubles, increased in proportion to the growth of the dollar/euro exchange rate against the national currency during this period,"- Evgeny Perventsev drew attention.

“The main question is where our market will be moved. If it’s in a multifunctional center, which is located behind the main market building, then we’ll have to move to another place. Now our kiosks are located in advantageous places, the buyer can park a car a few meters from the shopping arcades, and the multifunctional building the center is a dead place in terms of traffic. If there are now more sellers in the market than buyers, then what will happen after the move?”, says Vladimir, an auto parts dealer.

The Expobel administration reassures entrepreneurs that the relocated market will be located in a favorable location. Nearby will be the main building of the shopping complex, a food market, as well as parking for visitors.

The huge blue inscription "Expobel", soaring at a 25-meter height on the eastern outskirts of Minsk, behind the Zeleny Lug-5 and 6 microdistricts, arouses the interest of everyone passing by. Most Minsk residents and guests of the Belarusian capital know that there is a clothing market located here, which was previously located at Akvabel, located 150 meters away. At the same time, not many are aware that a modern world-class exhibition center with all the necessary infrastructure will appear on the site of the construction taking place here over the next 2-3 years.

The fact that she took on the implementation of a grandiose and truly important project for the state private company who doesn’t ask anyone for anything is an almost unique case for us. This circumstance prompted NEG to inquire not only about the project, but also about the opinion of those “interested” about it.

"AQUABEL" is building "EXPOBEL"

Chairman of the Aquabel Exhibition Center CJSC, professor of BGATU Petr Nikolaevich Sinkevich agreed to talk about the new project in an exclusive interview with NEG.

Petr Nikolaevich, in lately a lot is said about "Aquabel" and "Expobel": some regret the relocation of the wholesale market from their "home" place, others doubt the advisability of building new markets when land for the construction of supermarkets is actively being sold, others generally say that something is being built there other than the market. Please reveal the secret to the readers of "NEG": what is "Expobel" and what is their relationship with "Aquabel"?

- “Expobel” is a trade and exhibition complex, which is being built by the private enterprise “EC Aquabel” CJSC, so their relationship is related, firstly. Secondly, the shopping arcades in the form of kiosks and containers that are located here currently, it is part, and the smallest one, of the large Expobel trade and exhibition complex under construction, according to the project prepared by the Belarusian-German company Belprombauplan Consult GmbH, the area. closed premises the complex will be 100 thousand sq.m. Its territory will house exhibition pavilions, open exhibition areas, parking lots for more than 3 thousand places and 2 administrative buildings, which will house a bank, post office, telegraph office, first-aid post, press center, conference hall with 300 seats, and a cafe. fast food. The exhibition pavilion is designed as a structure of 2 blocks. The first two-story retail block will consist of 2 halls of 9,200 sq.m each. It is planned to house a food supermarket in the hall of the first floor, and an exhibition of industrial goods and household equipment on the second floor. The second block is an exhibition block. These will be two halls of 9000 sq.m. They are expected to host international exhibitions and fairs, entertainment and sporting events. The sales area will house two more cafes with 200 seats.

But that's not all. We hope that Expobel will become the first shopping town in Belarus with restaurants, cinemas, and children's entertainment areas. Its visitors will be able to spend time in a bowling alley, a casino, and a disco. All this will be built here, on the territory of the complex.

Where, then, is the place of the current market with its kiosks and containers in the structure of the new and, obviously, modern complex?

I believe that for every type of product there is a buyer, and I think that shopping arcades of kiosks and containers like ours will always exist on a par with supermarkets and boutiques. In any case, we will not forcibly remove them until they are in demand by the consumer.

Nevertheless, in the minds of the majority of the population, Aquabel and Expobel are markets. How did the idea of ​​creating a market transform into the idea of ​​creating an exhibition complex?

The process was just the opposite. In 1998, we came up with the idea of ​​creating an exhibition center. built "Aquabel". At that time, as now, Belarus had an insignificant exhibition complex "BelEXPO" of 3 thousand square meters by world standards. It is difficult to hold a prestigious exhibition on the basis of such a complex that would interest serious participants. Maybe they don’t come to us because there is nowhere to invite them?

Then, in 1995, we decided to create an exhibition complex operating on agriculture, and called it the research and production center "Agribusiness".

In September 1999 The exhibition company JSC "AquabelEXPO" held an exhibition of computer equipment "Infobel" at the center, and in October 1998. - exhibition "Special transport". Financial result did not satisfy the organizers. The total area of ​​the exhibition halls at that time was not so large - only 4.5 thousand square meters, the hotel complex was not put into operation, which determined the great prestige of exhibitions at BelEXPO at that time. It turned out that for six months we were thinking about what to do with the empty space.

In May 2000 We held an agricultural fair in the Minsk region, which marked the beginning of the clothing market. Just at this time, the kiosks were removed from the Komarovsky market, and people poured here.

So, unnoticed even by the organizers themselves, a market appeared in the form of shopping arcades made of containers and kiosks - a strange, spontaneous formation.

— “Expobel” began to be built because the idea of ​​building an exhibition complex did not leave you, or were there other reasons?

I really didn’t want to give up the idea. But there were other reasons. Start of reconstruction ring road and the tasks assigned to the Ministry of Transport regarding its commissioning by October 2002. forced the management of CJSC "CC "Aquabel" to reconsider the timing and pace of construction of the new complex and plan to put the first stage into operation within the same time frame. Moreover, we were warned in writing that with the opening of the Moscow Ring Road, entry from its side should be closed to ensure traffic safety .

Over the course of a year, we built electrical substations, parking lots, and open exhibition areas with all engineering communications, to which the shopping rows of kiosks and containers were moved.

— Pyotr Nikolaevich, how soon do you plan to “bless” the capital with a modern exhibition complex?

By the end of this year, we intend to commission trade and exhibition halls and administrative building. In 2004 -- the main exhibition pavilion and entertainment and recreation complex for exhibition visitors. Thus, by the end of 2004, if nothing interferes with us, Belarus, like all European capitals, will have its own trading town, where you can buy everything you need, and visit the exhibition, and take part in it, and relax. But, I emphasize, first of all, this is an exhibition complex, trade only accompanies it.

“We have been waiting for this pavilion for a long time”

The turnover of funds in this area of ​​our neighbor and ally Russia, which accounts for about 50% of all exhibition events held in the territory former USSR, reached 250--300 million USD. The number of business entities working in this and related areas has exceeded a thousand.

In countries such as Germany and the USA, revenues associated with exhibition activities exceed 5 and 12 billion USD, respectively.

As well as Russian market inferior to American and European, Belarusian lags behind Russian. In 2000 The turnover of funds in Belarusian exhibition activities amounted to 7 million USD. In the last two years, such statistics have not been kept at all, but the changes (if any) are unlikely to be dramatic. There are 6 exhibition companies operating on the domestic market, plus a couple of dozen “allied companies”.

Therefore, the initiative of a private domestic company to create a modern exhibition complex in the capital with all the necessary infrastructure looks extremely attractive.

True, it is somewhat unusual for Belarus, which is timidly entering the path of the market, that a private company intends to build a large and modern exhibition complex. “It seems to me that only the state can handle such a project. Its payback period is at least 10 years; what commercial organization will do this?” - General Director of the National Exhibition Center "BelEXPO" Alexey Ivanovich LAZUKO shared his doubts in a conversation with a NEG correspondent.

Irina Vladimirovna MAKHORKINA,

Deputy Director of the Department of Foreign Trade, Head of the Department of Exhibitions and Fairs of the Ministry of Trade:

“I’m glad that there are such grandiose plans”

Of course, there is not enough exhibition space in Belarus. We face the problem of accommodating everyone whenever large exhibitions are held, for example, automobile or construction exhibitions.

Therefore, if everything that the organizers have in mind is actually built and at the same time they are able to create all the conditions necessary for exhibitions, it will be good.

As a specialist who has devoted 20 years to organizing exhibitions, I would like to warn that the difficulty is not so much in the construction of such a complex, but in the possibilities of its full operation. The 18 thousand square meters that Expobel intends to offer at the first stage is 2 times more than what the two existing complexes have today. But both sites host one exhibition no more than three times a year (automotive, construction and food). Will there be enough people willing to occupy the created areas? After all, the largest exhibition company, BelEXPO, has its own pavilions, and naturally it wants to operate them effectively.

I would like to wish those who have undertaken this task success. If everything works out, we will be happy to cooperate with them. For now, this complex does not exist. Perhaps, as often happens, they will decide to occupy all the shopping arcades, realizing that organizing an international exhibition is a very difficult and troublesome task.