People, Places and Purpose: Developers Club Makes Its Debut at Russian House

The Club was founded by three professionals with diverse backgrounds: Yulia Shinkorenko, a marketing expert, journalist, and PR specialist in the construction industry; Anton Kryukov, a construction quality control engineer, emergency psychology specialist, and creator of business simulation games; and Leonid Khlebnikov, a parquet flooring manufacturer and marathon runner. Their combined expertise defines the character of this new professional platform, bringing together a journalist's curiosity about people, engineering precision, an understanding of human behavior, and hands-on entrepreneurial experience.

Each founder contributes a distinctive perspective on the industry. Yulia specializes in identifying compelling topics, bringing out people's stories, and making complex professional ideas accessible. Anton combines technical knowledge with psychological insights and experience developing interactive business formats. Leonid brings practical manufacturing expertise and an appreciation for long-term commitment. Their collaboration has created a space where meaningful industry discussions extend into personal conversations and video interviews.

On the opening day, the Association of Low-Rise and Individual Housing Construction Market Participants (MZhS Association) hosted a series of sessions. Eight developers representing a new generation of residential communities gathered to share projects built around distinctive missions, development concepts, and visions for territorial growth. The discussions brought together experienced developers and specialists in architecture, financing, marketing, and the creation of new destinations that attract residents and visitors.

Two sessions established the main direction of the conversation: "The Russian Territorial Code: How Government, Financial Instruments, Integrated Territorial Development, and Architecture Shape the Communities of Tomorrow" and "Territory as a Cultural and Economic Project: Creating New Destinations and Sustainable Demand." Moderated by Yulia Shinkorenko and Leonid Khlebnikov, the discussions explored the relationship between developers' ambitions and residents' everyday experiences. Participants examined how an initial concept becomes a functioning community and what transforms interest in a location into a lasting decision to live there.

One of the central themes was the transformation of suburban housing as a product. Today's buyers want a clear understanding of the entire process: the total cost of their future home, the expected moving date, responsibility for construction quality, and the services available after they settle in. Meeting these expectations requires developers to go far beyond land preparation and property sales.

Igor Kapustin, founder of Novaya Zemlya, presented a comprehensive customer journey covering every stage of homeownership: purchasing a plot, acquiring land with an architectural design, construction, buying a completed house, and receiving ongoing maintenance services. Each stage is designed to make the next step more transparent and predictable. Architecture, budgeting, construction schedules, landscaping, and property management become interconnected elements of the transition to suburban living. For customers, this approach reduces uncertainty when making major decisions. For developers, it establishes the foundation for long-term relationships.

Alexey Barinov, CEO of FACT Cottage Communities, expanded on this approach with a practical model of integrated residential development. His presentation treated land, housing, infrastructure, banking solutions, construction partners, and property management as components of a single housing product. The advantages of this model become particularly clear when considering the needs of families with children: reliable year-round roads, stable utilities, internet access, safe public spaces, and convenient access to schools, healthcare, and essential everyday services.

At the Negorod Pavlovsk development, the company has adopted a partnership-based construction model. Four construction partners operate across four residential districts, while a unified architectural framework ensures consistency throughout the development. This arrangement brings together the expertise of different homebuilders within one coherent concept. The developer coordinates their activities and maintains responsibility for ensuring that the entire community functions and feels like an integrated environment.

Another important point raised by Barinov concerned property management as a source of valuable information for future developments. Once residents move in, developers can observe which public spaces are most popular, which design solutions prove expensive to maintain, and which services are missing. These findings can then inform subsequent projects. In this way, real-life experience becomes a feedback mechanism, allowing new residential concepts to reflect actual patterns of human behavior.

Sergey Lugovets, chairman of the MZhS Association's committee on individual housing construction in rural areas, continued the discussion by focusing on the quality of residential environments. His presentation covered centralized utility systems, sports facilities, recreational areas, family-oriented public spaces, and multifunctional community infrastructure. The landscaping and public amenities of the Yuryevo Bereg residential development served as one example. He also explored the importance of cultural identity in architecture and how the distinctive character of a location can be preserved through contemporary design.

Anna Baroyan, CEO of UNA Group, offered another perspective on what makes a location valuable. Using the ESTA development in Sochi as an example, she demonstrated how the surrounding environment can become a decisive factor in a property purchase. The project features 19 residences across 2.5 hectares of private grounds, complemented by a one-hectare exclusive park. Ancient forest, natural topography, and the surrounding landscape give the development qualities that architecture alone cannot replicate.

This example broadened the discussion of luxury real estate beyond the physical characteristics of individual homes. Buyers are investing in an environment, privacy, surroundings, and a vision of their future lives within a particular setting. Consequently, developing a location's identity begins long before a marketing campaign. Its defining features must shape the product itself, its architecture, and the lifestyle it offers. Only then does market positioning become a reflection of genuine value.

The development of rural territories was explored on an even larger scale through the TroykaGrad project, presented by Nina Kuzmicheva. The initiative in the Vladimir Region builds on the experience of the Kopiski family, whose ventures include the Rozhdestvo agricultural enterprise, the Bogdarnya farm resort, a cheese-making business, culinary attractions, and museum spaces. Together, agriculture, tourism, and culture create economic connections capable of supporting the development of an entire territory.

TroykaGrad is envisioned as an agro-cyberpolis integrating housing, agricultural production, processing facilities, technology, and cooperative business models. The long-term concept anticipates a population of up to 50,000 residents, establishing an ambitious target for future growth. A particularly significant element is the proposed role of the residents themselves. The development model encourages community participation and seeks to align the interests of residents, businesses, and local authorities. Housing thus becomes one part of a broader ecosystem encompassing employment, economic activity, and community life.

Alongside these ambitious development concepts, the Club addressed practical tools essential for successful project implementation. Renata Belyaeva, founder of TADDEX, introduced a technology-driven approach to real estate due diligence. According to the service's presentation, its system collects property information from 20 sources, analyzes the findings, and generates a report identifying potential risks. For development projects involving lengthy investment cycles, the reliability of initial data is especially important. Even the most promising concept must be supported by a thoroughly verified property asset.

Historic real estate also featured prominently on the opening day's agenda. A session involving Kalinka experts examined cultural heritage preservation as an investment opportunity, collectible properties, and relevant financial instruments. The discussion connected the cultural significance of historic buildings with questions of practical use and economic sustainability. For the Developers Club, this represented another essential dimension of territorial development: creating new environments while finding viable futures for existing architectural assets.

The discussions continued in a dedicated podcast studio, where every speaker recorded a video interview highlighting the most important aspects of their project. This format provided an opportunity to explore each concept in greater detail, explain key professional decisions, and emphasize the ideas that matter most to their creators. The interviews will be published later on the Russian House exhibition's official platforms, allowing the Club's conversations to reach a wider audience and remain accessible long after the event.

The first Developers Club showcased a remarkable range of scales and approaches, from exclusive residences surrounded by nature to the vision of an entirely new settlement, and from architectural identity to land asset verification. Despite their differences, all the projects were connected by one fundamental consideration: the people who will eventually live in these places. What conditions will encourage them to relocate? What will give them confidence in their decision? And how will their chosen environment enrich their everyday lives?

Through their joint efforts, Yulia Shinkorenko, Anton Kryukov, and Leonid Khlebnikov established a platform where these questions could be examined from both professional and human perspectives. The inaugural Developers Club demonstrated the value of bringing together industry professionals who are willing to share their experiences, explain their decisions, and think beyond the moment of sale. It also revealed the potential for deeper collaboration around a shared goal: creating places where people genuinely want to live and build their futures.