Аннотация: Auxiliary manual on political economy. (Interview with Aras Agalarov).
Auxiliary manual on political economy. (Interview with Aras Agalarov).
Andrei Vandenko. "Araz Agalarov: I learned to live for today" (https://tass.ru/business-officials/11242721?from=teaser) (28 APR [2021], 09:30) [Андрей Ванденко. 'Араз Агаларов: я научился жить сегодняшним днем' (https://tass.ru/business-officials/11242721?from=teaser) (28 АПР [2021], 09:30)]
About eighty percent of my motivation for writing this manual is caused with the mention of the stadium in Rostov-on-Don - on the left bank of the Don River.
Our opinion about the excellent journalistic work of Andrei Vandenko we leave aside - as far as possible.
Maybe in the evening, after the working day, Andrei Vandenko will go to a special publishing house and, presenting a respectable identity document, will offer to write and publish a biography of Araz Agalarov. Yet it seems that neither the theme of the metro station, nor the theme of family ties with the inhabitants of the Caspian political Olympus are mentioned.
The opinion about Araz Agalarov we leave aside - as far as possible - . You will not deny him many advantages and strengths. The fact that he appears in the interview as a self-made man - this is causing to feel of respect.
And - let's see on to the mega-projects mentioned in the interview.
There are three projects, which were remembered.
(a) Vostochny Cosmodrome,
(b) Stadiums, including a stadium in the city of Rostov-on-Don,
(c) Campus of the Far Eastern Federal University (on Russky Island, Vladivostok).
As Araz Agalarov emphasizes, he receives all orders (contracts) after passing the competition.
Is he the most efficient player in the construction industry?
In this interview, he says that he is one of those leaders in the construction industry in Russia who is able to complete construction.
Aras Agalarov mentions the possibility to receipt of state financing and the opportunity to receipt of credit resources (from the Savings Bank - Sberbank - Sber). He mentions the amount owed to the Sberbank ("Today we owe the Sber 120 billion rubles ...") [('Сегодня мы должны Сберу 120 миллиардов рублей...')].
A reader who is not familiar with the details and internal mechanisms may get the impression that Araz Agalarov has access to state financial resources and to the resources of the Sber (bank).
If other players in the construction industry will have the same access, too, - maybe they will be able to finish building all their facilities? The constructions of the stadium in St. Petersburg and the theater in Moscow were completed, at least?
Let the focus of attention be not on the personality of Araz Agalarov, but on mega-projects, and the system that creates these projects. Araz Agalarov calls himself a foreman [прораб]. He receives an order (task, Instructions) and fulfills it. He is an element of the system, an element that obeys the rules of this system.
Let's start with the Vostochny cosmodrome.
Does Russia need a cosmodrome? If you begin to answer this question in a broad sense, you have to write a work that is three times larger than the standard biography published in the "Life of Remarkable People" series.
To avoid the pause necessary for writing of a special book on appropriate theme, we immediately turn to the most important theme. If the Vostochny cosmodrome is needed, that to ensure Russia's leading position in the space industry.
We leave the question of the costs of building the Vostochny cosmodrome aside.
We only mention that at the moment Russia has expressed its intention to withdraw from the program (project) of the International Space Station, that if she builds its own new station, then in the early 30s of the 21st century, that she does not have the technical capabilities to launch a spacecraft with a crew to the Moon.
The USA and China are active in the spheres of "near" (space stations and flights in near-earth orbits) and "deep" (flights with crews to the Moon) space.
The Vostochny cosmodrome has been built. But, Russia's leadership in the space sector has been lost.
Let's see on the theme of stadiums.
'Imagine what it would be like to build stadiums in a swamp in [during] two years? Both in Kaliningrad and in Rostov, quite specific swamps there were in the place of future arenas. We did not choose the [land] sites, we had to eliminate other people's technical mistakes. (...)
The estimated cost for everything is about 36 billion rubles. At that time, the exchange rate was approaching 70 rubles per euro. It turns out, for two stadiums - 500 million euros. In the West, they build one arena for that kind of money. (...) ".
['Представьте, каково за два года построить стадионы на болоте? И в Калининграде, и в Ростове на месте будущих арен оказались вполне конкретные топи. Площадки выбирали не мы, нам пришлось уже устранять чужие технические ошибки. (...)
Сметная стоимость на все - около 36 миллиардов рублей. В то время валютный курс подходил к 70 рублям за евро. Получается, на два стадиона - 500 миллионов евро. На Западе за такие деньги строят одну арену. (...)']
What can you say?
The hydrology of the Don River, the cultural, recreational, ecological, historical significance of the Left Bank of the Don - all this is beyond the competence of a person, who calls himself an ordinary foreman ('In fact, I am an ordinary foreman. I don't see myself in any other capacity. and that's it, no ambitions ") [('По сути, я обычный прораб. В ином качестве себя не вижу. Поручили - значит, надо делать. Вот и все, никаких амбиций')]. What can you reproach such a person with? And who can reproach him?
'For example, how did it happen with football? At the end of 2015, I was invited to a meeting of the State Council. We discussed for a long time the construction of stadiums in different cities, problems with projects and contractors. Suddenly Putin says: "Is Agalarov here?" I answer: "Here, Vladimir Vladimirovich." I was sitting ninth from the president. He leaned forward, looked at me and asked: "Well, we able to build stadiums?" I nod: "Instruct - we will do it." - "Everything, you may start."
['К примеру, как получилось с футболом? В конце 2015 года меня пригласили на заседание Госсовета. Долго обсуждали строительство стадионов в разных городах, возникшие проблемы с проектами, подрядчиками. Вдруг Путин говорит: "Агаларов здесь?" Отвечаю: "Тут, Владимир Владимирович". Я сидел девятым от президента. Он наклонился вперед, посмотрел на меня и спрашивает: "Ну что, сможем построить стадионы?" Киваю: "Поручите - сделаем". - "Все, начинайте".']
Who currently finances the maintenance of the stadium in good condition? Who spend the means? What is the more - of benefit or of harm - from the stadium in Rostov-on-Don (on the Left Bank of the Don)?
Further - the campus of the Far Eastern University on the Russky Island.
'... I lost money on the Russky Island.
- How much?
- 3 billion rubles. However, then we were returned from the budget of a billion 100 million.
From the university to the water was a 250-meter zone, according to the conclusion of the environmental assessment, it was not included in the project. And when President Putin arrived, the question arose of what would happen there. I replied, we will put the territory in order.
But these works, I repeat, were not in the estimate. Naturally, we built the embankment and carried out the landscaping... In addition, 228 thousand square meters of housing were commissioned more than planned. (...)
I was hoping to get additional funding, but we were not given it. As a result, the then First Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov called German Gref, asking him to buy something from me so that I could finish the project. Sberbank acquired a part of "Agalarov Estate" - eight houses with 12 apartments each.
Then we were still compensated from the budget for a billion 100 million rubles for the arrangement of the embankment. In my opinion, a beautiful project has turned out on the Russky Island. And most importantly, the facility is completed and put into operation. In Russia, a lot is not being completed. Therefore, in the country there is 7 trillion rubles of unfinished construction. The organizations that are ready not only to take public money, but also to hand over everything on a turnkey basis, can be counted on the fingers. "
['... на острове Русском я потерял деньги.
- Много?
- 3 миллиарда рублей. Правда, потом нам вернули из бюджета миллиард 100 миллионов.
От университета до воды была 250-метровая зона, по заключению экологической экспертизы она не входила в проект. А когда приехал президент Путин, возник вопрос, что там будет. Я ответил, мол, приведем территорию в порядок.
Но этих работ, повторяю, не было в смете. Естественно, мы построили набережную, провели благоустройство. Это раз. Кроме того, сдали на 228 тысяч квадратных метров жилья больше, чем планировалось. (...)
Я надеялся получить дополнительное финансирование, нам его не дали. В итоге тогдашний первый вице-премьер правительства Игорь Шувалов звонил Герману Грефу, просил того что-нибудь купить у меня, чтобы я мог закончить проект. Сбербанк приобрел часть Agalarov Estate - восемь домов по 12 квартир в каждом.
Потом нам все-таки компенсировали из бюджета миллиард 100 миллионов рублей за обустройство набережной. На мой взгляд, на острове Русском получился красивый проект. А главное - объект завершен, вступил в строй. В России очень многое не доводится до конца. Поэтому в стране недостроя на 7 триллионов рублей, а организации, которые готовы не только взять государственные деньги, но и сдать все под ключ, можно пересчитать по пальцам.']
Do students and teachers need the super expensive buildings? After all, such objects need to be serviced, maintained in proper condition ...
The story of the father of two children from the Khabarovsk Krai testifies that a man worked as a security guard, his wife did not want to live with him in primitive living conditions, she left the family, he began to trade in fish with a disastrous result. Two children in one of the Moscow airports ... Further - it is not easier ...
Money has nowhere to spend?
One can comment on this situation: the construction of the Far Eastern University campus was carried out to enhance the international reputation of Russia, to hold a summit meeting.
Those who observe the current foreign policy situation can determine where this reputation is now. In the speeches of Maria Zakharova?
What was the money spent on? Means were used to increase reputation? Here you can shake your head.
So, this excellent interview prompts one to ask - what is the huge money spent on, what is the effectiveness of all this hectic activity?
From somewhere out of the historical fog appears an incomprehensible (for a modern typical citizen of Russia) figure of a provincial nobleman, who at the Sejm of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth loudly declared: "I am against." Political culture is different now.
"Instruct - we will do it."
Modern games have their own rules. There are large debts, but it seems that there are also both the right to visa-free entry to the United States, a green card ... In the United States, life is probably more comfortable. There - we assume - before the implementation of each major project (with usage the federal money or the means of separate state) they will ask 100 questions and will say 50 times "I am against!" ...
Such is the political economy of the 21st century.
May 5, 2021 06:30
Translation from Russian into English: May 5, 2021 08:53.
Владимир Владимирович Залесский 'Вспомогательное пособие по политической экономии. (Интервью с Аразом Агаларовым)'.