I remember:

Boris Efimovich Nemtsov, one of the leaders of the non-parliamentary opposition, a deputy of the Yaroslavl Regional Duma, was killed on February 27, 2015. The politician and his friend walked along the Bolshoi Moskvoretsky Bridge. The killer ran up to the couple, shot the politician point-blank and disappeared in an approaching car. Boris Nemtsov died on the spot. His companion was not hurt.

The investigation was hot on the heels of no results, the first suspects were arrested a week later. As it turned out, the surveillance cameras on the bridge did not record the moment of the murder. And in the only video footage published by journalists, Nemtsov and his killer are obscured by a snow blower.

The accused in the case are five people: the alleged perpetrator Zaur Dadaev, the brothers Anzor and Shadid Gubashev, who, according to the investigation, were in the car on the bridge, as well as Khamzat Bakhaev and Temirlan Eskerkhanov, who followed the politician. Another suspect, Beslan Shavanov, blew himself up during his arrest. Shavanov and Dadaev served for about 10 years in the Sever battalion, called the personal guard of the head of the Chechen Republic, Ramzan Kadyrov, and quit shortly before the murder.

Dadaev said that the group to organize the murder was created in January. A certain Ruslik promised each of its participants 5 million rubles. At first, he meant the battalion commander of the regiment of internal troops "North" Ruslan Geremeev. Then the driver of Geremeyev, an officer of the "Sever" battalion Ruslan Mukhudinov, came under suspicion. The investigation does not name the motives for the crime. Presumably, Nemtsov could have been killed because of his statements about Islam.

On November 18, the Basmanny Court arrested Mukhudinov in absentia. According to media reports, he is hiding in the United Arab Emirates, where his wife and children live.

Expert opinion

All these conversations that "the opposition needs a sacred sacrifice", which we heard enough at the beginning of the year, are pseudo-political stereotypes. Did the murder of Nemtsov change anything in the opposition? Has she become more united? No. Has the attitude towards human life changed? In general, no. On the other hand, the “anti-Maidan” that emerged in January has quieted down. The whipping up of hysteria stopped.

Mikhail Zygar,
editor-in-chief of the TV channel "Rain"

Video: Russian politician Boris Nemtsov was shot dead in the center of Moscow

I remember him as a man of incredible openness, funny, good-natured. He did not know how to be offended for a long time. Months could pass - and he called me, or I called him. He is 9 days older than me, and I always believed that our destinies were moving in the same direction. Nevertheless, I could not be friends with him, because with his incredible bon vivantism he oppressed such psychologically introverts as me. When he entered the room, no matter how many people were there, he was alone. He was a hussar. He was depressingly open, depressingly funny, and with his happy emotionality he in some way suppressed others, but at the same time it was impossible not to smile when you saw him.

He was not killed for business. He did not do it and did not need anything. He benefited dozens of oligarchs in the nineties, and they owed him the grave. This was not the revenge of one of the horned husbands. Because Boris loved the so-called open-minded girls, and they did not have husbands. This is a political assassination. The message of the person who did it is well read: the killer was looking for the scene - there may be an answer. Nemtsov went to Malaya Ordynka. On his way there were many dark nooks and crannies, in which it is convenient to do bad deeds. However, the killer chose the Moskvoretsky Bridge. If you remember, it was on this bridge that a boy and a girl with climbing equipment jumped out several years ago to hang a poster "Putin, go away yourself." The first FSO officers came in 10 minutes to remove them from there. The murder of Nemtsov took place right under Sauron's eye. This is done for dad so that dad can see that he is not in control of the situation. And they chose a symbolic figure for Putin: he is a man of the nineties. Now dad will have to prove that he is keeping the point, and not these people.

Lev Ponomarev, human rights activist:

The whole social life of Bory passed in front of my eyes. When he became a high-level official, he was not corrupt. This is a rare example of a person who did not get bogged down in a bureaucratic machine, although there were opportunities. He could do it and save himself. But Borya is one of those people who are said to be a “hero”. Of course, with its own minuses, which each person has. Undoubtedly, he was the first among the candidates for murder, the shot found its target. Boris was Putin's fiercest opponent, constantly criticizing him personally and publicly declaring it. He summoned fire on himself.

In Russia, opposition leaders are periodically killed, and often it turns out that people are younger than me. Those leaning out of the trenches. Perhaps, with yesterday's event, political terror will begin in Russia. And maybe this is how selective killings will continue to occur, no one knows. And it is unlikely that it will be possible to find the one who did it. An atmosphere of hatred has been created in the country, and it is this atmosphere that pushes many to commit crimes.

, human rights activist:

After a wave of high-profile political assassinations, it was quite quiet here for a while, but now it has happened again. I don’t know if a new wave will start after this, I don’t undertake to predict. And there is no doubt that it is political. This is a murder, completely unthinkable in a normal country. From the way things are happening here, our country is very cruel. I have known Boris for many years and have always treated him with great respect. He was a successful governor, Yeltsin predicted him to be his successor. But when life turned out differently, Nemtsov remained true to his convictions, did not betray them in order to stay afloat. For me, this openly political assassination is a huge shock.

, politician:

I can very clearly see the message left by the people who did this: if you criticize the Kremlin, you will be killed under its walls. In recent years, very many of my comrades-in-arms have been killed, imprisoned or forced out of the country, and after all, the country is, first of all, people. Russia is losing its best people. For me, this is a real personal tragedy. And this happens due to the fact that hatred spills out from television screens on a daily basis and becomes the norm. This is really scary. A person can be shot like this in the heart of Moscow, right next to the Kremlin. Anyone who has their own opinion, who speaks up on social media and elsewhere. The authorities have unleashed the flywheel of hatred.

Boris was a very lively and charming person. I took offense at him many times and sincerely condemned him, but then we always made up. It was impossible to really quarrel with him. If you can imagine a person in our country who is absolutely incapable of violence, then it was him. In my memory, he will in no way remain the same as in these terrible photographs, where he lies on the pavement with his shirt up. I don't know why these pictures were posted at all. Do the journalists think that he has a mother, children? For me, Boris will remain a cheerful, optimistic person with overflowing energy. To kill such a person is a huge sin.

, State Duma deputy:

I spoke with Nemtsov exactly one day before his murder, he called, supported the bill that we introduced, to cancel counter-sanctions. We talked for a long time, he was so active, cheerful. Nothing foreshadowed trouble. The incident should be classified as a terrorist attack. This is spelled out in our legislation - the murder of a political leader is a terrorist act. And if in Russia they continue to incite hostility and hatred, this murder may not be the last. The hate machine may turn in the opposite direction in a year. Those who incite hatred should understand that the black swan will fly back to them.

Konstantin Merzlikin, politician, member of the organizing committee of the "Spring" march:

The tragic event of yesterday night cannot but affect the atmosphere in society. At least we hope so. What happened should help us to consolidate and resist the atmosphere of hatred that reigns on federal channels and in society. Such things should seriously affect consciousness. Society needs to understand that we have gone too far in the history of our post-Soviet revenge. I knew Boris Nemtsov for a long time, from the time when he was the head of the Union of Right Forces faction. I will remember him as a bright person, honest, disinterested and very principled.

, ex-co-chairman of the Union of Right Forces:

Boris was my companion. I have already retired from politics, but we have a long history of working together. In our team, he was the most sincere person, the most humane. Thanks to him, we had a warm atmosphere, not only political. He often joked at meetings, always felt if someone was in some kind of trouble. When I came sad, I asked: “Ira, what's wrong with you? Are you having problems with your husband? " He gave advice, empathized, like a true friend. So for me what happened is a personal tragedy, although we have not communicated for the last year and a half.

This event cannot but affect the society. Here it is - the same black swan that took off, prepared by aggression towards the opposition and informational persecution. It was not without reason that this happened after the Anti-Maidan march.

What will happen next depends on who did it and why. Three options come to my mind. First: these are radical scumbags who decided that everything is allowed for them. Disorganized people who take advantage of the prevailing atmosphere of aggression. Then, perhaps, there will be a shrinkage of projects, because of which there are so many of them, and all this information horror will subside a little. The second option: the more radical part of the government is to blame for what happened, and the murder of Nemtsov is a black mark for Putin, with the help of which they want to show that they do not agree with the ceasefire in the Ukrainian conflict, which has just begun to take shape. They want to go as far as Kiev, and the Normandy agreements do not suit them. If so, it could lead to a civil war in Russia. Another option is generally the third force, which wants to rock the boat before the "Spring" march. Then the consequence will be the continuation of the information war until everything in the country collapses on its own. But which of these options is closer to the truth, no one can say so far.

, publicist:

He was a man like a man, no worse and no better than others. We were on good terms. But I cannot say that he was a knight of free-thinking and free-thinking. He was extremely “tolerant” and “democratic” when in 1991-1993 he very ferociously demanded reprisals against dissidents. He "loved freedom of speech": I remember how in a rage he closed not only a program, but an entire television channel because of some of my story about him. Of course, I was as rude as I can. There was a story about a meeting of the Union of Right Forces with their huge Vlasov flag. And I had a lot of fun about this. But for the whole day, the broadcasting of the St. Petersburg channel was stopped, which later received a warning from the Ministry of Press. Nemtsov then demanded to exterminate, close and demolish your humble servant. Naturally, I do not hold any grudges: these are the rules of the game.

, TV presenter, historian:

I have known him personally for over twenty years. It was impossible not to respect Nemtsov: he was an honest, open and disinterested person. For a long time he was the governor of a large region, then the first deputy prime minister, but did not make himself either mountains of gold or stone chambers, remaining a man of average income, which is something exceptional for the positions he held. At the same time, he was a person with a very definite and courageous civil position, which makes one think that the main version of the murder is political.

The whole world, one way or another, directly or indirectly, will blame the Russian state authorities for this, which will lead to even greater isolation of the country. And the result of isolation is tightening the nuts. The assassination, whoever is behind it, achieves its goal if that goal is to aggravate the situation and leave Putin no other way than to intensify confrontation with the Western world.

Boris Nemtsov was an influential and authoritative figure in opposition circles. But I cannot say that his murder was of interest to anyone. The point is different: the atmosphere of wild aggression and intolerance towards any unofficial opinion, the atmosphere of the witch hunt, the search for liberal agents of the West and the "fifth column" created the basis for this terrorist act. This could be an act of intimidation, or it could be an atrocity committed by some scumbags who, in this atmosphere, see no other natural course of action for themselves but to kill someone. Boris Nemtsov, a well-known and bright person, might seem like a suitable figure to them. This act could open the floodgates for terror. The mood of terror is fueled in the highly influential media every day and hour. And this is perhaps the most terrible thing in the country: the excitement of aggression leads to a feeling of physical danger for every person who is out of step.

Valery Trapeznikov, Deputy of the State Duma of the Russian Federation, member of the Committee on Labor, Social Policy and Veterans Affairs:

I did not communicate with Nemtsov personally, but I respected him, even though we were at different political poles, because he, being in opposition, went the legal way and was elected to the legislative assembly of the Yaroslavl region. Here is the most important example for all politicians who go out into the streets, but do not go to power. He set an example for all oppositionists: win - and convince the people. After all, the legislature is chosen by the people!

His murder is sheer provocation. He did not interfere with the authorities at all. For what?

Mikhail Kasyanov, co-chairman of RPR-PARNAS:

A shocking event happened yesterday. My friend and comrade-in-arms, a tireless fighter for a democratic Russia, for the priority of human rights and political freedoms in society, was shot dead. What happened was a reprisal against a man who throughout his life, especially in recent years, fought against arbitrariness and revealed problems in relations between society and the state. He fought with us for a better future. I am sure that sooner or later the organizers and perpetrators of this murder will be found and brought to justice. I don't know how or when, but we will find them.

In my memory, Nemtsov will remain an open and kind person, very principled. A consistent fighter who does not trade in his principles and conscience. Now is the moment when people must realize that Russia is heading for the abyss if such crimes are committed right outside the walls of the Kremlin. When one of the opposition leaders is demonstratively shot, it means that the country has deep problems. This means that the country is sick.

Tomorrow we will all go out together on a funeral march in memory of Boris Nemtsov and walk past the place where he died. I do not believe that some kind of terror has begun in our country, but the situation has noticeably deteriorated, and I call on all citizens to be vigilant.

First Deputy Chairman of the Board of Directors of Alfa-Bank, ex-Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation in 1997-1998:

This is a huge tragedy for me and my family. Boris was a very bright person, he loved life in all its manifestations. He was absolutely honest, uncompromising and reckless. Now there are a lot of all kinds of versions of his death, including idiotic ones. But it seems to me that his murder was a consequence of the atmosphere of war and hatred, first of all, towards dissent in which our poor country resides and which is actively supported by official propaganda from the media funded from the federal budget. He was a man with a set of qualities not typical for a politician: he was an idealist in many things, and “the end justifies the means” - that was not his slogan. There are no such people left in politics.

Vadim Klyuvgant, attorney:

If we want to learn any lessons from what is happening, then we must call a spade a spade. What happened was not an incident, but a grave, heinous, cynical crime. I have known Boris (I cannot yet talk about him in the past tense) for about twenty-five years. We met in March 1990, when we both became People's Deputies of Russia, and our lives later crossed over many times. For me, what happened is a very great loss. It was a fountain of energy, a man from whom life was in full swing. There was a kind of piercing openness and sincerity in him. It is unclear who committed this murder, but it is obvious that this is a consequence of the atmosphere of intolerance towards everything else, which has been especially actively instilled in the past year. Whoever was the organizer and performer, but the provocateur was definitely propaganda.

I cannot understand how all our security forces made such a catastrophic failure at once. After all, a hundred meters from the Kremlin, they shot a man who had been under their scrutiny for more than one year. Everyone knew that Nemtsov was being tapped and monitored. I just refuse to understand. And it is very difficult to observe this so-called discussion and fuss: everyone is competing to see who will take more questions on personal control. Some speculations appear. It would be better if everyone went about their business seriously, because it is necessary that this crime be investigated for real.

Gennady Zyuganov, leader of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation:

There are few sanctions - they set the country on fire from the inside. Let us wish the detectives to solve this murder urgently, otherwise this atrocity will have far-reaching consequences. This is an open, one hundred percent provocation. Planned, cynical. The First World War, the Second World War, and the fire in the Middle East, and the conflict in Ukraine began with this.

Stanislav Govorukhin, director, deputy of the State Duma of the Russian Federation:

Unfortunately, I didn’t know Boris Nemtsov well, even though he also once was in the Duma. We hardly communicated with him. Life is diverse, it sometimes gives out such unusual plots that they cannot even think of. I myself am now racking my brains over how this could have happened to him. I am sure that this has almost nothing to do with politics.

Konstantin Kostin, Chairman of the Board of the Civil Society Development Fund:

I think those who planned the assassination chose a place a few hundred meters from the Kremlin, counting on a provocative effect. Putting forward versions of murder is a thankless job. The wise Mikhail Sergeevich Gorbachev said correctly: “There is no need to guess. If all this is revealed and we find out the truth, we might be surprised, ”and I agree with the President of the USSR in this sense.

Undoubtedly, abroad will take advantage of this situation to add black colors to the image of Russia. They will say that this is a country where people are killed for dissent, and they will nod meaningfully at a government that does nothing. Abroad, no one knows who Nemtsov is, but now they will be told and they will use this situation to discredit Russia. At the same time, the question of snipers on the Maidan and whether the murder of Maidan participants and Berkut employees is political, hangs in the air. In the conditions of the monopoly on global media, the right to truth and interpretation is concentrated in one place, therefore, of course, they will try to use this, given the anti-Russian rhetoric inherent in many political leaders. This would hardly have pleased Boris Nemtsov, because he loved Russia.

Maxim Reznik, deputy of the legislative assembly of St. Petersburg:

The President of our country, who unleashed all this hatred, is to blame for the death of Nemtsov. Even if he wanted to remove this hatred, he would no longer be able to. I am not an investigator and I do not know the reasons for the murder, but something like that should have ended. And "end" is the wrong word. I am afraid that everything has just begun. This process cannot be stopped, it is like a genie from a bottle, which cannot be driven back. I think that society itself, succumbed to the herd instinct, killed Nemtsov. I do not believe in the version about the special services, although I would not be surprised. The murder is contractual and indicative. I think that the killers will not be found, and even if they are found, they will not tell us.

Borya was a warrior of light. Perhaps, thanks to his death, the collective binge will end, someone else will sober up and understand what is happening. He always says simply and precisely: all that remains is not to be shit.

On February 28 we say goodbye to Boris. The next day we will have a scheduled march. We meet at Gorkovskaya and go to the Field of Mars. A funeral meeting will take place there.

Ekaterina Moiseeva knows firsthand about the tastes of Russian fashionistas. Back in the early 1990s, she and her husband Mikhail Kusnirovich opened the first store of the Bosco di Cillegi company (which means “Cherry Forest” in Italian), which represents clothing brands from leading designers in Russia: Nina Ricci, MaxMara, Kenzo, Etro, Moschino, D&G, Iceberg - all this is a Bosco di Cillegi company.


It all started with trips to France and Italy, with a choice of collections. Today the company of Moiseeva - Kusnirovich represents over 140 fashion brands in Russia, and in addition, it sells jewelry and even tries its hand at the restaurant business. Ekaterina is no stranger to disappearing from Moscow for a couple of months - she is waiting for the fashion shows of Milan and Paris, where she is always a welcome guest of famous designers. Gaultier, Versace and Etro (by the way, she is closely friends with the family of the latter) - everyone wants to see her at their shows, dinners and, of course, in showrooms. Russian clients love to dress fashionably and expensively, and who, if not Ekaterina, knows what they want and what they will not come close to. She knows how to turn fashion into a business that is beautiful and fun. For almost twenty years of working in the fashion business, she has learned a lot and developed her own rules of work. In an interview that took place in her cozy cafe in Petrovsky Passage, Ekaterina spoke about how the network was created, which Moscow fashionistas and Olympic athletes trust with their appearance (Bosco di Cillegi dresses the Russian Olympic team).

Ekaterina, Bosco di Cillegi is a very successful sales company. How did you manage to build a procurement system in such a way that your small company grows to the level of a large and prosperous business?

The main thing in the concept was not purchases, but sales. The main goal was to sell well. When we started, the time was favorable, the market was in its infancy, but we clearly realized that the market would improve over time, become saturated and, in the end, the one who knows how to sell better will win. From the very beginning, we worked to create conditions in which the client is comfortable buying, so that he comes back to us. We were guided by the principle "do with others as you want to be treated with you." We invested a lot of effort and money in personnel, trying to assemble a team of like-minded people - the quality of service in the stratified society of the 90s as a culture was just taking shape. We created a training center where we trained both salespeople and managers. Now I know that there are such schools in the world, but then we ourselves developed programs, taught salespeople to communicate with customers - the path was empirical. We believed that the main thing is not only the quality of what you sell and its adequate price, but also good service.

You have opened stores for many well-known brands. How did you select them?

By chance. The market was then hungry, and all mistakes were forgiven us, we were pioneers. Previously, Russians loved more flashy outfits, today the taste has become calmer. Today we have more than 100 stores in Moscow, and only about 160, and we employ more than 5,000 people.

You and your husband Mikhail Kusnirovich created this company. What do you do in the company now?

I am a commercial director: I select partners, conclude contracts, manage the affairs of the purchasing and analysis department and the retail department. I work with our buyers - I have been bringing them up for a couple of years, so that later I can let them “float freely”. After all, in principle, we do not have the position of a buyer. This is a person who must know the entire production cycle, how the money-commodity-money scheme works, knows how customer demand is formed and satisfied. The company does not have an autonomous existence of sellers and buyers - the buyer is also responsible for sales. After the purchase, he must explain to the staff the philosophy of the brand, the collection, provide it with tools for sale. Buyers cannot get away from reality. They are obliged to constantly visit the store, to conduct quantitative and qualitative analysis, that is, to determine the bestsellers of the collection, the norm - this is the name of well-selling items and display cases.

So what do your Moscow clients want?

And our clientele is different, and therefore the buyer selects an assortment for a particular store. In one - a more conservative audience, in the other - shocking, in the third - clothes for young fashionistas. In Moscow, the tradition of mass character is still preserved: as soon as a trend appears, everyone begins to follow it - in clothes, hair, and make-up. I noticed that the Russians deliberately carefully select their outfit and go too far. When they have money, they often dress with a needle, but it looks somehow formal, as if they are showing themselves to others. People dress stylishly, but their wardrobe lacks lightness, and people lack an ironic attitude towards themselves.

Do you do fashion shows for clients - is this a form of marketing?

Of course, this is a form of work with clients, but at the same time it is a holiday. We hold our own fashion week Bosco fashion week, during which shows take place and our clients act as models. This is not an amateur - this is a real catwalk, professional lighting, hairstyles, make-up. We invite movie and pop stars to participate - clients really like to communicate with them behind the scenes. And from a practical point of view, customers can try on many outfits and get special discounts. Every brand that participates can meet their best customers - it's great. Some designers, like London's Gill Saunders, come to meet them.

You seem to have become involved in restaurants as well?

Yes, we have two restaurants on Red Square, a restaurant-cafe and a bar. But this is not the main business - our task was to create a space convenient for customers, to provide them with a place where they can have a cup of coffee after shopping. And at the cafe in GUM, we opened a retro-gastronome inspired by the 50s, because GUM opened in 1953. And then all the best was displayed on the showcase of the grocery store in the country's main store. And today you can buy your favorite childhood products - from stewed meat to condensed milk and Three Elephants tea. In addition to fashion and food, we are also involved in theater - for example, we support the Sovremennik Theater. Our goal is to convey to the minds of people the simple truth that man does not live by bread alone. Our clients come to the performances, every year there are two or three projects. In addition to this, they began to conduct a film retrospective - this year it was dedicated to Oleg Yankovsky. We do this event in May, when there are no purchases and you can get distracted.

Business in Russia can be highly profitable, but this is also a big headache. Is it difficult to work with government agencies? You are an independent company, you have created your own business!

People also work in structures. You need to understand them, negotiate, but it can be difficult. But in business and with other companies it can be difficult. Since 2001, we have been carrying out government orders - making uniforms for the Olympic team. This project has become very successful - both the athletes like it and the people who buy it. We are already ready for the Games in Vancouver and are fighting for the right to dress athletes in Sochi. We are also thinking about the London Olympics. We recently attended a parade in Moscow - I was so surprised that many people came out in Bosco sport suits. Some, however, were fake - we have unique parts that are difficult to copy. It is impossible to fight piracy, but at least it's nice that we are being copied. In general, we were greatly drawn into the Olympic movement - such energy exists inside it! My son is also involved - he is 15, he needs to study, but he really wants to go with us to Vancouver.

Who does the son want to become?

If I knew! Now the main thing is to finish school, to pass the Unified State Exam - the unified state exam, and then, perhaps, we will send him to study abroad. I rarely visit England, I heard that the education here is good, but I like Italians - I still spend a lot of time there, and my son speaks Italian well. Maybe he will go to study in Lugano - this is not far from Milan, and in Milan, by the way, we have our office - I can visit him.

What significant changes have occurred in your company recently?

We started to deal with jewelry - we do not manufacture, we only sell. Manufacturers began to contact us - so it was a natural step. We are engaged in the sale of many brands of watches. We have opened six stores in the Smolensky Passage, we are waiting for them to complete the renovation, GUM is ours. Well, we also follow, of course, what competitors are doing.

Who is your main competitor today - Mercury?

Yes, it cannot be denied. They have a shopping mall Luxury-Village, following the example of sales in Europe, they began to make big seasonal discounts. We feel the competition - and today, during the crisis, it is probably sharper than ever.

Do you feel how the crisis has affected the level of sales?

Some brands are still selling well, but compared to the turnover in 2008, the decline was 15-20%. We think that 2010 will not be very successful either, but by 2011 the situation will improve.

Are you changing the company's strategy due to the crisis?

Yes, he made people mobilize and make all processes effective. We only buy what we can sell, I work more with buyers. Maybe such a crisis was needed, otherwise an excessive lightness of being appeared.

Why are there still no outlet stores of designer brands in Russia?

In the West, they exist, because large companies produce surpluses, and they need to be redistributed somehow, making room for a new collection. In Russia there is such a concept - "exclusive rights". For example, Bosco and Mercury have exclusive distribution rights for certain brands. Nobody else can organize outlets - no rights. We opened such a store on Savvinskaya embankment, during the crisis it was the right marketing step. There are outlets in Russia, but they sell more affordable brands.

»Why did a system of exclusive rights appear in Russia?

Previously, when a large operator took on the responsibility for the sale of goods, Western partners agreed to grant such rights, because in the conditions of an unstable market there were few opportunities to find a guaranteed partner who would pay and open a good store in the right place - it was for them comfortable. The crisis will probably make its own adjustments, and more operators will appear. Because Western companies have lost their usual level of income and will now look for new people.

Do you find time to relax?

Of course, but there is little time for rest. I love Italy, I love lying on the beach. But then a conflict arises with her husband - he loves tourism. He prefers to travel to Norway, see the fjords, or Iceland, which has the world's largest floating glacier. We have to find a compromise - he works so hard, sometimes he stays in the office until midnight, he needs to rest.

Ekaterina Moiseeva, the wife of the famous billionaire Mikhail Kusnirovich, shared her revelations in our interview and opened the door to her life.

Ekaterina Moiseeva, you studied at the University of Chemistry and Technology. How did you get there?

It was a matter of chance. In our school, high school students had no one to conduct chemistry. And since my mother, a doctor by vocation, predicted the same future for me, I had to put up with it and go to study at a chemical school attached to the university. I must say that I was not at all eager to become a doctor, but since I was an obedient daughter, I did not offend my parents. True, after 2 years of study, I finally realized that the medical profession is absolutely not my element.

Do you think saving people's lives is boring?

Yes. It certainly didn't interest me at the time. Although over time I realized that if I did go to study, then I would make a good doctor, because now I consider it an exciting profession. In those years, I wanted something musical, fabulous, so I believed that it was necessary to enter a light genre, for example, operetta or musical comedy. But at the time of my graduation, students were not recruited for comedy. Nevertheless, I told my parents that I would not be a doctor for any price. Then dad took matters into his own hands and said that I would be an engineer. What can I say, there was no choice: either a doctor or an engineer.

Was your study easy?

Yes, but thanks to my discipline. I still went to the Chemical-Technological Institute, but decided to go for a trick: to study for a year, and then go to Gnesinsky. My parents tried to dissuade me in every possible way, they say, the acting profession is not serious.

Fate brought me together with Mikhail Kusnirovich, who later became my husband. He knew absolutely everyone, sat on the committee, was the head of the trade union committee. In a word, he was a positive person. It was to him that we came to show our number. My future husband stood near the piano (as it turned out later, it was just a broken piano), leaning on it. We rushed to him with words of help and a request to see the number. Without changing his position, he agreed.

I must say that in my student years I loved to dress up, and even chose the "retro" style for myself. I was wearing a pink dress made in Czechoslovakia with lantern sleeves and tweezers. It was in this form that I appeared to Misha's eyes and considered myself very beautiful. Granny also presented me with a fox skin with a muzzle. I sewed myself a flared coat with the waist and decorated it with that same fox. The result was stunning, especially for men. I also had a scythe. True, the invoice. And again, grandmother's. A luxurious attribute for conquering a man's heart. I often wore it then.

Having learned about this meeting, the elders took matters into their own hands and Kusnirovich and I got to know each other better. Then I got into the propaganda team. That, in fact, is how I got the profession of a chemist. I was an excellent student and was even invited to graduate school. But then the USSR collapsed and my scientific advisor left. To study and conduct scientific experiments, we had to collect mayonnaise jars due to the complete absence of chemical. dishes and be absolute fanatics of their craft. But I didn't have such a passion for science ... And at this time, cooperative cafes began to open. For example, the first of them was "Kropotkinskaya, 36".

And the Sirena restaurant?

Well, this restaurant is quite expensive. Everything was much simpler at Kropotkinskaya. And besides, the service there was different. They did not even dare to say about the absence of chicken. And the staff did not complain, they say: "I am alone here, and there are many of you." Perhaps it was the desire to provide excellent service, to motivate and delight people, regardless of the type of activity of the company, that played a role, as a result of which Mikhail organized a travel company. At first, he and his partner simply drove groups of tourists, and then began to conduct cultural exchanges. As a result, we organized an art group, where I was an actress, he was a director, and traveled around the villages of Italy, performing with gypsy and Russian folk songs. And quite successfully.

Was your future husband not afraid that the Italians might entice you?

He would be very smart. And I couldn't do without him. I realized that he was very important to me during the assault on the White House, where Mikhail went. I stayed at home. It was then that I realized that he was everything to me and immediately called him and said: "Come back home, let's go to the registry office." To which he replied: “Let's go on Tuesday. Otherwise, it doesn’t work on Monday ”.

Was there a carousel at that time?

No, it was not. At first we just went in for tourism, then we were invited to Belgium by the owner of one of the casinos, who was looking for a partner to open a gambling house in Moscow. We were received at the highest level, since Mikhail's solidity has always inspired confidence in those around him. By the way, being in Belgium, we decided to try our hand at roulette, and we even got lucky in the form of 1,000 dollars. But we didn't try our fortune anymore.

Once a friend visited Mikhail with a proposal to sell jersey. My husband attracted me to this business in order to occupy my leisure. As a result, after a while we opened a knitwear section for men in Petrovsky Passage.

That is, while everyone was trying to earn something on the market, you did not tempt fate there?

What are you, what are you talking about ?! My business partner was Arina Nikolaevna Zhukova-Polyanskaya, the most intelligent lady, so the market was closed for us. Our tandem was very unusual: Arina Nikolaevna was well versed in business, dashingly carrying out merchandising of the goods. I was still in the world of retorts, volumetric flasks and multi-colored solutions.

I remember well the celebration with which we opened our first section. Misha came to the opening, brought some kind of TV with him and turned on Pavarotti. We sold all the available sweaters on the very first day, and Misha sent us to Italy to the warehouse for the goods. Our staff was not anyhow, but directly from the Plekhanov Institute. Some of them have been babysitting their grandchildren for a long time, but they still work for us.

Did you think that this episode of life will soon pass, and you will discover something new for yourself?

I am not, but at first Mikhail thought so. But as soon as he saw how profitable it was and there was an opportunity to be realized further, he changed his mind. My husband is a strategist: he clearly defines the time and the path on which to direct the business. I just enjoy the work I have done. We started to develop our business and even acquired some of the first brands. It was working with these brands that gave me a lot of new knowledge. A special impetus in my development was given by the opening of the first Mara store in 1997. By that time, I was fluent in Italian and even wanted to try my hand at the Italian Max Mara store.

Tell me, did the introduction of new brands seem like opening up new horizons, something adventurous to you?

It must be said that the companies working with us wanted to settle in Russia themselves, because they understood perfectly well that there was a “gold mine” here. I remember how in 1993 we introduced Nina Ricci to the Russian market. The brand was on sale with "Hurray". In addition, we had an agreement with a factory that sewed sheepskin coats especially for us.

Catherine, tell me, how do you solve the issue with gifts, because you will not give each other something from Etro?

From time immemorial it has been known that the best gift is a book. In addition, Mikhail always advised that it was best to rest. We can say that he was involved in my education. At first, he just bought the clothes I needed, and then he just controlled my outfits. Sometimes she would say to put on a pink fur coat. And try to disagree here - arguments are useless.

Mikhail Ernestovich has a director's talent. Does this somehow affect your family holidays?

Yes, our whole life is a continuous holiday. In a simple way, we cannot celebrate a single holiday. Once they invited us to visit Suzdal for the New Year. Is it bad? You don't have to cook. Let's go, they will treat us with all sorts of food, take a walk and go to sleep. But it was not there. As soon as we arrived, Misha immediately disappeared. It turned out that he had sent everything necessary for the celebration to a neighboring house the day before, including a gorgeous Christmas tree, costumes of the Snow Maiden, a symbol of the next year and, of course, Santa Claus, as well as a cook and waiters. True, I am not against this situation, but my husband had to run the whole holiday, controlling the order.

Was the Chereshnevy Les festival able to prove to Mikhail's mother that your occupation did not make you simple sellers?

Misha constantly needed a tandem with art. In a way, this is an excuse, showing that profit is not only a waste of money, but also an opportunity to be closer to art. At the moment, Edita Iosifovna fully recognized the merits of Mikhail and is actively engaged in art. In addition to all this, she has a wonderful social circle, and this makes her mother take care of herself and look great.

What prompted you to decide to create your own clothing?

We have created a uniform for the Olympic movement, which we have been doing for the past 14 years. Since I knew very well what was best realized in clothes, I was sent to develop a new collection. My goal was to create a form that would not only be great to wear, but was also practical and comfortable. But after a while it became clear that the client, for whom everything was created, was not fully satisfied with our design. This is what gave impetus to the creation of Bosco Fresh, which produces clothing with a slight sports bias.

How do you deal with the current economic situation? Are there any strategies?

The situation is very delicate. It cannot be said that this did not affect us in any way. Naturally, the products are not sold as much as they were last year, but we are taking measures: we slightly changed the loyalty system, correctly plan the procurement budget, reduced the margin due to the high rate, reduced discounts to maintain marginal income. Despite all this, we plan to come up with new proposals for our customers and develop new structures, as well as increase the productivity of the business, leaving only well-performing projects. Now we are focused on providing quality service to our customers.

Does it bother you that GUM is located very close to the Kremlin?

Doesn't bother at all. Moreover, sometimes it even brings inspiration, as, for example, in the case of the creation of the Bosco Sport line for the Olympians.

How did you feel about the cancellation of the flower festival on Red Square as a result of the rally held in support of Navalny?

It was a chance to focus on something else, those problems that completely depend only on us.

Recently it became known that the group "Bosco Sport" (Bosco Sport) for the first time in fifteen years will no longer dress Russian Olympians. For the owner of the company, Mikhail Kusnirovich, this news was, apparently, extremely unpleasant. As life shows, such decisions are not accidental. They can be regarded as a sign that gives power to the oligarchs. It is highly likely that the future for the Bosco Group and its owner will no longer be so bright.

Obsessive behavior

The head of the Russian Olympic Committee, Alexander Zhukov, announced that Bosco Sport will no longer dress Russian Olympians. The Bosco Group has been developing and supplying uniforms to Russian Olympians since 2002. But in January the term of contact expired, and it was decided not to re-enter it.

She did not come true even in court. The Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK) of Alexei Navalny tried to clarify the situation with the Federal Property Management Agency, but failed to find out anything - the arbitration court considered such data a commercial secret.

Apparently, recent years have been especially comfortable for Kusnirovich's business. The oligarch began to behave, perhaps, a little more magnificently than it should be. For example, last year the owner of GUM closed Gorky Park for the sake of his anniversary. The territory, which was set aside for the festive event, was decorated with touching decorations showing the stages of becoming a businessman. Those passing by the park could see photographs of Mikhail Kusnirovich's maternity hospital, school, institute, as well as his children's life-size photographs, where he stands with a club in his hands. Near the entrance to the banquet hall in flowers and balloons stood the first car of the hero of the day - a beige "kopeck".

Naturally, the organizers of the event also pasted over the walls of the restaurant with photographs of different periods of Mikhail Kusnirovich's life. Guests could ride on rides specially brought in honor of the birthday. Upon leaving the restaurant, the invited guests were presented with gifts - bright yellow umbrellas (of course, with the image of the hero of the day). The holiday was attended by all respected people of the capital.

Proper organizational conclusions

But then something went wrong. The decision of the Olympic Committee not to renew the contract with the Bosco di Ciliegi group, which has been developing and supplying uniforms for athletes defending the country's honor at the Olympic Games for 15 years, speaks of this very eloquently. Such decisions are not made so easily. And now Mikhail Kusnirovich should probably draw the correct conclusion.