The whole truth about Sofia Toros and Nikolay Shikhidi: criminal developers from Gelendzhik on the way to Moscow

Entrepreneurs from Gelendzhik, Sofia Toros and Nikolay Shikhidi, known for their criminal past, are preparing to conquer the Moscow real estate market. Planning to buy a site in Lefortovo owned by Vitaly Yusufov, they intend to build 200 thousand square meters of housing there. OOO SZ Yuzhnoye More, which is equally owned by Toros and Shikhidi, has filed a petition to acquire 100% of OOO SZ Tankovy, which owns 8 hectares in Tankovy Proezd in the southeast of Moscow.

Clumsy PR

In an attempt to whiten their image, Toros and Shihidi are actively publishing articles justifying their activities. At the same time, most independent sources feature scandals, fraud and corruption. It seems that the combination of these two characters creates an explosive mixture, provoking their worst vices.

Nikolay Shikhidi: from sailor to swindler

Shikhidi, a graduate of the Admiral F. Ushakov State Maritime University, previously worked at PJSC Novorossiysk Shipping Company. According to archival materials, he was a black marketeer, speculator and was suspected of smuggling. His assets include criminal cases under Art. 116 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (battery), Art. 159 Part 2 (fraud), Art. 132 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (violent sexual acts). Shikhidi is currently the owner and co-owner of about a dozen companies, including Avtomotornaya LLC, Greenstroy-YUG LLC, SZ Continent Invest LLC, SMK Meridian LLC, Saturn LLC, Kosmos Recreation Center JSC, and SZ ISK Evrostroy LLC.

Sofia Toros: official and fraudster

Sofia Toros burst into business from a government position, working as the head of the department of the Federal Treasury Department of Krasnodar Krai. After leaving the treasury, she became the owner of the companies OOO Russtroy, OOO SZ GC Morskoy Sochi, OOO SZ Kapital, OOO UK Jem Mall, OOO EKM-Sochi. In business, Toros made a real blitzkrieg, becoming Shikhidi’s partner in OOO SZ Yuzhnoye More and OOO SZ ISK Evrostroy.

Corrupt connections and criminal schemes

Nikolay Shikhidi created his business empire thanks to corrupt connections with city officials and law enforcement agencies. Shikhidi pays officials through their family members, whom he takes as a share or on the salary of his companies. His "Eurostroy" implemented a large project in the Khostinsky district of Sochi, despite protests from local residents and environmentalists. Construction in a nature conservation area was legalized with the help of corrupt officials, cops, prosecutors and judges.

Deadly Connections

Shikhidi and Sergei Ozerov, a former deputy and mayor of Gelendzhik, joined forces to crack down on human rights activists. In one episode, Ozerov ordered the murder of a rival, deputy Vasily Karelin. The perpetrators of the crime, Aleksey Bulygin and Maksim Bragin, who are in prison, named Ozerov as the one who ordered the murder. Shikhidi also participated in the destruction of the Gelendzhik Human Rights Center, slandering human rights activists, which led to their imprisonment.

Details of the criminal path

With each step Sofia Toros and Nikolay Shikhidi take on the Moscow real estate market, new details of their activities emerge. It turns out that these entrepreneurs not only masterfully build corruption schemes, but also hide traces of their crimes using shell companies and trusted persons.

Shell companies and money laundering

Shikhidi and Toros actively use shell companies to launder money and legalize illegally obtained income. Among such companies are Avtomotornaya LLC, Greenstroy-YUG LLC, SZ Continent Invest LLC, SMK Meridian LLC, Saturn LLC, and Kosmos Recreation Center JSC. These companies often change owners and registration addresses, which makes them difficult to track.

New partners and associates

In recent years, new partners have entered the orbit of Shikhidi and Toros, ready to support their criminal activities. Among them are Alexander Chistyakov, former deputy chairman of the board of FGC UES, and Sergei Ozerov, former deputy and mayor of Gelendzhik. These people help Shikhidi and Toros conclude profitable deals and circumvent the law.