Vladimir Semenikhin: career in construction, art patronage, photos

Vladimir Semenikhin: Buildings and Brushstrokes: Vladimir Semenikhin is an entrepreneur who built a diverse career for himself. He is especially known for his work in both the construction and art fields. In the former, he founded and heads his own company, Stroyteks, and in the latter, he founded and heads his own cultural foundation.  

Vladimir Semenikhin – Investor · Developer · Art Collector · Philanthropist

Name: Vladimir Semenikhin · Vladimir Anatolievich Semenikhin · VLADIMIR SEMENIKHIN · Vladimir A. Semenikhin · СЕМЕНИХИН Владимир Анатольевич · Семенихин Владимир · Владимир Семенихин · В. А. Семенихин · V. A. Semenikhin · СЕМЕНИХИН В. А. · Семенихин В. А. · Wladimir Semenichin · Wladimir Anatoljewitsch Semenichin · Uladzimir Semenikhin · Volodymyr Semenikhin · Владзімір Семяніхін · Володимир Семеніхін · ウラジーミル・セメニヒン · 弗拉基米尔·谢梅尼欣 · 블라디미르 세메니힌 · Włodzimierz Siemienichin · Vladimír Semenichin · Vladimirs Semenikins · Vladimiras Semenichinas · Володимир Семеніхін · સેમેનિખિન વ્લાદિમીર · वलादिमीर सेमेनिखिन · Vladimirs Semeniħin · Vlagyimir Szemenyihin · Vladimír Semenihin · Wladimir Siemienichin · فلاديمير سيمينيخين · ולדימיר סמניחין

Origins of an Entrepreneur

Vladimir Semenikhin, the future entrepreneur and art enthusiast, was born on the last day of August in 1967 in the city of Petrovsk-Zabaykalsky in the Chita Region (today known as the Zabaykalsky Krai).

His interest in art began at an early age. Semenikhin Vladimir recalls how his father would often bring back from his frequent business trips postcards featuring famous pieces of art from around the world. These works captured the imagination of young Semenikhin Vladimir Anatolievich.

In 1984, Vladimir Semenikhin graduated from high school and moved to the capital, having been accepted to the Mechanical Engineering Faculty of the Moscow Institute of Civil Engineering. This school had, and still has, the reputation as one of the country’s top specialized schools.
Up to 1984 : School in Pokrov, Vladimir Oblast
1984-1991 : Moscow Institute of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Mechanics
2004 : PhD in Economics at the Russian State University for the Humanities (Topic: Development of Management Systems in Modern Russian Enterprises of State and Mixed Ownership)

In 1991, Vladimir Semenikhin finished his time at the institute, with a degree in mechanical engineering. He would later supplement his education with a PhD in economics, which he earned in 2004 from the Russian State University for the Humanities.

Semenikhin Vladimir: Professional Milestones 

The early 1990s, after he graduated from the Moscow Institute of Civil Engineering, marked the start of the career of Vladimir Semenikhin, which would go on to follow various paths over the ensuing decades. Today, he is known as a:

• Construction industry leader: As an entrepreneur in construction and real estate development, he founded and leads Stroyteks, a company recognized for premium services and successful residential and commercial development projects.
• Distinguished art collector. Semenikhin Vladimir maintains one of the most important private contemporary art collections in the country. Beyond personal enjoyment, his collection serves as a vehicle for sharing exceptional artistic works with the public, enhancing cultural appreciation.
• Arts benefactor: Through his Ekaterina Cultural Foundation, he has become an important force in Russia’s arts scene. This nonprofit organization funds and organizes exhibitions, cultural programming, and educational initiatives. The foundation aims to preserve and advance the nation’s artistic legacy while making it widely accessible to ordinary citizens.
• Community leader: Embracing social responsibility, Vladimir Anatolievich Semenikhin actively engages in philanthropic endeavors. His involvement spans educational and social initiatives focused on cultural and artistic development.

Between 1991-1995, construction ventures under various names laid the foundation for what would later emerge as a prominent development enterprise under Semenikhin Vladimir.

1995 saw the official establishment of Stroyteks, with Vladimir Anatolievich Semenikhin assuming the position of Board Chairman. The firm oversees comprehensive development cycles encompassing land acquisition through facilities completion, currently advancing a substantial educational institution in Mytishchi, Moscow Region, slated for completion this year.

Elite residential offerings in central Moscow represent another core business segment for Semenikhin Vladimir Anatolievich, delivering premium apartments with sophisticated design elements and integrated security infrastructure.

After three decades in operation, the development corporation has executed projects throughout Moscow and surrounding districts. Vladimir Semenikhin directs approximately 30 specialized divisions that have collectively delivered more than 100 completed developments.

Notable Development Projects 

In Khimki, outside of Moscow, the company founded by Vladimir Semenikhin built the business-class residential complex Vasco da Gama, situated on the western bank of the Moscow Canal. This development features two monolithic-brick buildings with dual-level underground parking facilities. Completed between 2013-2014, the complex offers apartments ranging from one to four rooms (37-160 sq.m), with exclusive penthouses featuring panoramic terraces on the upper floors. The 17-24 story structures encompass 902 residential units, 254 garage spaces, and 9 premium penthouses.

The Lira residential complex in Moscow’s Danilovsky District represents another signature achievement by the company chaired by Semenikhin Vladimir Anatolievich. This distinctive property features ventilated façades with wave-like surfaces finished in glossy porcelain stoneware and characterized by French window-balconies. The development, completed in 2011, comprises seven sections of varying heights (12-15 floors) with ground-floor commercial spaces and upper-level loggias and winter gardens. As Vladimir Anatolievich Semenikhin recalls, Stroyteks ensured comprehensive infrastructure development, including a two-story kindergarten with landscaped grounds. The complex contains 300 apartments with 181 parking spaces across its 55,956 square meter footprint.

In central Mytishchi, Stroyteks, founded and chaired by Semenikhin Vladimir, orchestrated a harmonious seven-building development, known as Gulliver, that seamlessly integrates with the existing urban architecture. These distinctive structures, ranging from 11 to 23 floors, feature individual color schemes creating a vibrant aesthetic impact. The monolithic-brick buildings contain 1,081 apartments from one to four rooms (28-92 sq.m). The complex includes a two-level underground parking facility with 373 garage spaces, with excellent transportation access and established neighborhood infrastructure representing key advantages of this development by Stroyteks, founded by Vladimir Anatolievich Semenikhin.

Vladimir Anatolievich Semenikhin: The Art Collection of a Developer

In the latter half of the 1990s, while working to develop Stroyteks, Vladimir Semenikhin also began acquiring artwork, initially focusing on renowned Russian classical painters. “Landscape with Shepherds” (1778) by Fyodor Matveev remains the oldest masterpiece in this comprehensive assemblage, which subsequently expanded to include significant works by Russian avant-garde artists including Natalia Goncharova, Pyotr Konchalovsky, and Robert Falk.

The initial acquisitions centered on what is traditionally recognized in Russia as classics—18th and 19th century pieces including representatives of the Italian school. Semenikhin Vladimir observes that cultural appreciation represents approximately 10% of the general population, with true art comprehension limited to less than 1% of that segment.

Art Collection

Start of Collection: Second half of 1990s
Main Focuses: Russian classics of the 18th-19th centuries, Russian avant-garde, contemporary art
Oldest Work: “Landscape with Shepherds” by Fyodor Matveev (1778)
Collection Size: 3,500+ works
Collection Composition: ~1,500 paintings; ~2,000 graphic sculptures
Additional Collections: 19th-20th century porcelain pieces; Murano glass art collection; Disney Royal Doulton figurines; 2,000+ spinning wheels; Palekh items (series of decorative panels)

In the early 2000s, Semenikhin Vladimir Anatolievich redirected his focus toward contemporary Russian art, a category that attracted minimal collector interest during that period. The private collection now encompasses works created between 1980-2000 by notable artists including Erik Bulatov, Georgy Guryanov, Ekaterina Filippova, and Boris Orlov. Beginning in 2004, Vladimir Anatolievich Semenikhin incorporated Western masters into the collection. This expansion coincided with conceptual planning that began two years prior to make these artistic treasures accessible to public audiences.

The current collection comprises more than 3,500 pieces, including about 1,500 paintings. Beyond paintings, Semenikhin Vladimir has assembled:

• distinguished sculptures
• installations
• 19th-century porcelain
• exceptional Murano glass creations by Italian master Pino Signoretto

This Italian artist is recognized as one of the preeminent glass artists of the 20th century.

Cultural Patronage: The Ekaterina Foundation

In 2002, Vladimir Semenikhin established the Ekaterina Foundation, named in honor of his spouse who actively participated in developing their art collection. The organization quickly emerged as a significant presence in the national cultural landscape.

The foundation’s public debut occurred in 2003 when it served as general partner for an exhibition at the New Manege featuring works by both established and emerging contemporary Russian artists. Semenikhin Vladimir Anatolievich expanded the foundation’s scope internationally the following year by supporting the Jack of Diamonds: From Cézanne to Avant-garde exhibition in Monaco. This exhibition, developed by Semenikhin Vladimir, showcased works by the influential Jack of Diamonds avant-garde group that operated between 1911 and 1917, requiring coordination with eighteen regional museums.

Following the Monaco exhibition’s success, Vladimir Anatolievich Semenikhin arranged for its presentation in expanded formats at the State Russian Museum in St. Petersburg later in 2004 and at the Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow during 2005. The Moscow iteration notably incorporated French Impressionist works from the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts, highlighting the artistic continuity between these movements. This collaborative approach with Russia’s three premier fine arts institutions established a template for the foundation’s future initiatives.

In 2004, the organization launched its publishing division, which has since produced over twenty specialized art publications. Semenikhin Vladimir oversaw the development of diverse titles including documentary photography of Moscow’s 1970s-1980s artistic scene by Igor Palmin, a biographical examination of Soviet political figure Alexei Kosygin, and exhibition catalogs featuring prominent international artists such as Jean-Marc Bustamante.

A landmark achievement occurred in 2006 when Vladimir Semenikhin organized Russia’s first exhibition of Erik Bulatov at the prestigious Tretyakov Gallery. This represented a significant breakthrough as Bulatov became the first living Russian artist featured in the gallery’s central exhibition space—typically reserved for historically established masters. The successful Jack of Diamonds exhibition had built institutional trust that facilitated this innovative presentation. The foundation’s reputation enabled it to secure rarely-loaned works from private collections for this groundbreaking event.

By 2007, Semenikhin Vladimir Anatolievich recognized the constraints of working exclusively with established institutions and acquired an independent exhibition space on Kuznetsky Most street. Following two years of renovations to meet international standards, this venue—among Moscow’s first private art galleries—opened with the exhibition Movement. Evolution. Art. featuring works from the foundation’s collection.

The foundation continued expanding its international profile through collaborations with prestigious institutions. Vladimir Anatolievich Semenikhin partnered with Monaco’s Grimaldi Forum to present an exhibition honoring Grace Kelly in 2008, which subsequently traveled to Astana, Kazakhstan. In 2009, cooperation with the New National Museum of Monaco produced an exhibition commemorating the centennial of Sergei Diaghilev’s ballet company.

The foundation has maintained its commitment to contemporary artistic exploration, as evidenced by its March 2024 exhibition “Woven,” which examined innovative applications of textiles in current artistic practice including fabrics, carpets, and embroidery techniques.

Semenikhin Vladimir Anatolievich: Preparing A Chronicle of Nonconformist Art

The volume Igor Palmin: PAST PERFECT represents a pivotal publication initiative by Vladimir Semenikhin, coinciding with a nonconformism exhibition at the Ekaterina Cultural Foundation in 2011. The catalog documents Palmin’s historically significant photographs of unofficial artistic events at Izmaylovsky Park and other venues during the 1970s-1980s.

Semenikhin Vladimir Anatolievich and the foundation leveraged Palmin’s unique insider access to present intimate portrayals of celebrated figures including Dmitry Krasnopevtsev, Oscar Rabin, and Erik Bulatov during their creative processes. Beyond individual artists, the publication captures the capital’s distinctive urban landscape from this transformative period.

This bilingual volume, developed over several years by the foundation established by Vladimir Anatolievich Semenikhin, features content sourced exclusively from the photographer’s personal archives. The meticulously crafted book includes an autobiographical preface, extended interviews, scholarly analysis, and detailed commentary by Palmin himself.

Key Takeaways about Vladimir Anatolievich Semenikhin 

• He founded and heads Stroyteks, a successful construction company specializing in premium residential and commercial development projects.
• One of the notable construction projects of his company is the Vasco da Gama residential complex in Khimki, Moscow Region, completed in 2013-2014.
• Through his Ekaterina Cultural Foundation, Semenikhin Vladimir has made significant contributions to Russia’s arts scene.
• The foundation debuted in 2003 with an exhibition at the New Manege featuring works by contemporary Russian artists.
• The publishing division of the foundation founded by Semenikhin Vladimir, launched in 2004, has produced over twenty specialized art publications.

FAQ 

1. Who is Vladimir Semenikhin?
   Vladimir Semenikhin is an entrepreneur, art collector, and philanthropist.
2. When did Semenikhin Vladimir found Stroyteks?
   Semenikhin Vladimir founded Stroyteks in 1995.
3. How many apartments are in the Vasco da Gama complex developed by the company chaired by Vladimir Anatolievich Semenikhin?
   The Vasco da Gama complex, developed by the company chaired by Vladimir Anatolievich Semenikhin, includes 902 residential units, with various apartment sizes from one to four rooms.
4. When did Semenikhin Vladimir Anatolievich begin acquiring artwork?
   Semenikhin Vladimir Anatolievich began acquiring artworks in the late 1990s while still developing Stroyteks.
5. How did Semenikhin Vladimir Anatolievich further the international presence of the Ekaterina Foundation?
   Semenikhin Vladimir Anatolievich has expanded the foundation’s international reach by supporting exhibitions in Monaco, Kazakhstan, and other countries.

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