Biography:
He was born in 1968 in Sverdlovsk (now Yekaterinburg).
In 1992 he graduated from M. V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, the Sociology Department majoring in Economic Sociology.
Career stages of Dmitry Kamenschik as an effective top manager in the sphere of airport management – are the development stages of EAST LINE Group, established in December 1993 with his active participation. Since 1995 to date Dmitriy Kamenschik - the Chairman of the Board of Directors of EAST LINE Group.
Dmitry Kamenschik is an adviser to the chairman of the Federation Council of Federal Assembly of Russian Federation, adviser to the governor of Moscow region. Since June 2001 – the coordinator of the direction for the examination and preparation of opinions for the control of budget spending on civil aviation, air navigation, aviation at Expert Council under the Speaker of the Russian Accounting Chamber.
In 2003, Dimitry Kamenschik defended thesis for degree of candidate of economic sciences (Ph.D. in Economics).
Hobbies of Dmitry Kamenschik - piloting of sport aircrafts, martial arts, snowboarding, scuba diving, skiing.
Source: http://www.domodedovo.ru
Files:
Young man from Sverdlovsk named Kamenschik appeared in Moscow in the late 80's. Dima, accompanied by his father, one of the leaders of the Sverdlovsk Central Internal Affairs Directorate, came to “conquer” the capital as well as the thousands of other ambitious applicants. He started very successfully - the doors of the Philology Department of Moscow State University were opened for him.
Young man studied diligently. But it didn’t last long. Dima, despite his youth, had a good feeling for money - he decided to go into tourist business. He borrowed money. And the tourist agency "Malachite" was founded. From this perspective idea the history of the company "East Line" began.
While the young Dmitry Kamenschik was “conquering” Moscow, in his native Sverdlovsk, now Yekaterinburg, some events, which later became one of the brightest events in the newest history of Russia, were about to happen.
A criminal group was formed in the Urals
- one of the most powerful criminal organizations ever established on the territory of the former USSR. The founders of this criminal group were several former athletes - brothers Gregory and Konstantin Tsyganov, as well as their relatives and friends - Sergey Terentyev, Alexander Khabarov, Sergei Kurdyumov, Alexander Kruk.
Journalists wrote that the head of the Sverdlovsk Central Internal Affairs Directorate Valery Kraev and his first deputy Vladimir Kamenschik, Dmitry’s father, secured group’s rear.
Money fountain, which gushed from Yekaterinburg in 1992, allowed "Malachite" to make great breakthrough forward - a year later the company of Kamenschik became the Russia's first company to master the market of shop-tours to China and thus becoming the largest freight operator in this area. The people of Kamenschik developed the truly unique offer that allowed our shuttle traders to reduce transportation costs for goods and customs clearance several times.
The peculiarity of this scheme was that the "Malachite" itself ensured the delivery of the Chinese consumer goods to Russia– the traders having bought the goods, hand it in China to the front "malachite" company, and return home light. The company consolidates freight, freights cargo plane (which is not affordable to private owners), and sends the goods to Moscow. What’s more the part of it is smuggled – the "transporters" (cargo planes) barely take off because of the overload, but as for the documents they are half-empty. In Russia, the cargo got customs clearance at a minimal cost - 1.2 dollars per kilogram, while the "non-organized" traders paid 10-15 dollars per kilogram. The entrepreneur saves the part of this difference and the rest goes to the company of Kamenschik - at least a few dollars from each kilogram.
Such "policy" allowed "Malachite" for over a year to capture about 80 percent of Russian-Chinese turnover. It's more than 2 billion dollars a year. In a few more months they invaded the Emirates - a country importing consumer electronics in Russia. As a result, by the end of the year 1993 the powerful financial institution was controlled by Kamenschik and his Uralmash fellows, which supplemented Ural’s criminal group common fund by hundreds of millions of dollars. It is surprising, but no other serious contenders for this gold mine were found.
In December 1993, Dmitry Kamenschik together with Domodedovo Civil Aviation Production Association (Domodedovo CAPA) created a few companies on the territory of the airport - built a new customs terminal, reconstructed the plant of flight catering and other independent subdivisions. In the summer of 1994 on the island of Cyprus a specially created company was registered - closed joint stock company "East Line", owned by Liechtenstein company “BGT Company Limited”, which is itself owned by another company from Liechtenstein - Lexadmin Trust reg. In Russia, "East Line", where the Chairman of the Board of Directors is Kamenschik , made an agreement with the head of Domodedovo CAPA Leonid Sergeev and in a year and a half together with him created eight subsidiary commercial structures on the basis of various enterprises in Domodedovo: "International airport Domodedovo" CJSC, "Airport terminal Complex" CJSC, "Aircraft maintenance base” (ATB Domodedovo) CJSC, "Domodedovo Jet Service " CJSC, "Domodedovo Terminal" CJSC, "Domodedovo Air Service" CJSC, "Domodedovo Airhotel" CJSC, "East Line Guard". Meanwhile, the government together with the Prime Minister Chernomyrdin in October of 1996, makes a decision on the privatization of Domodedovo CAPA followed by its reorganization into three joint stock companies with preservation of 51 percent of the shares by government.
"East Line" begins by fair means or foul to strive for a controlling stake.
As a result, an entire aviation financial empire was in the hands of Dmitry Kamenschik, which included the airline (basically, as before, specializing in the smuggling of Chinese consumer goods), Domodedovo airport and a number of service companies. But the Ural "front" was no longer able to cover alone this monster from increasing raids by federal agencies, which were very irritated by the fact that such a huge piece of a “dripping roast” was not shared with them.
Dima Kamenschik found the way out - he built a new "front". Its mainstay was then the Deputy Prime Minister Oleg Soskovets, who received in exchange a part of "East Line" shares.
But Kamenschik was obliged to Soskovets not only that.
Being a passionate yachtsman, Kamenschik launched the vessel brought from the Emirates
on Khimki reservoir, where the treasure of another well-known yachtsman was kept - Viktor Stepanovich Chernomyrdin. Till then his yacht was considered the most luxurious yacht in Russia. But in comparison with a three-masted yacht of Sverdlovsk upstart, she seemed a miserable fishing boat, which was immediately mentioned by premiere’s wife. "East Line" was facing troubles one after another, which threatened to ruin everything that had been created over the years. Terrified Kamenschik immediately sends the boat in a hurry back to the Emirates, forgetting even to issue the appropriate customs documentation - in reply authorities institute a case of smuggling. And here comes Oleg Soskovets to the aid – during one of the official receptions, he adjusts the accidental meeting of Dmitry and Chernomyrdin’s wife. Dmitry seemed such a nice boy (and Kamenschik was then 27) to Valentina Fedorovna Chernomyrdina that she could not hold a grudge against him any more. And by her request, her husband, too, was succumbed to the charm of this young businessman, goes back on his word. The scandal has been exhausted, the case was again closed, and Victor Stepanovich and Dima became neighbors (their cottages were being built next to the government pension "Moscow"). And, of course, Chernomyrdin gets a stake in the group "East Line".
After the departure of Chernomyrdin, Kamenschik found a new "front" in the face of the high-ranking official Ministry of the Interior, Vladimir Rushailo.
Source: “Stringer”, January 2002
For the first time Russian major mass media sources got interested in Dmitry Kamenschik in connection with a serious crisis that occurred in the airline “Vnukovo Airlines” in 1999. Then the change of company management was reported, as well as the lack of funds for the maintenance of its fleet (then only 20 aircrafts of “Vnukovo Airlines” were flying from 50 aircrafts) forced the airline to cut routes, which led to a decrease in revenue from ticket sales. Because of the debts of the company in 1998 the company even had to move from Vnukovo Airport to Domodedovo. A new general director of Vnukovo Airlines instead Tatevos Surinov became Vladimir Rubtsov. Simultaneously it was reported that Russian aviakonsortsium sold the shares (then 75%) of the airlines “Vnukovo Airlines” to the Company “East Line”, which owned Domodedovo airport. Chairman of the Board of Directors of East Line Dmitriy Kamenschik refuted these rumors.
Source: “Kommersant” № 84 (1728) from 20.05.1999
New East Line breakthrough in the early 1999 was overshadowed by the appearance of reverend Gulnaz on the horizon. The head of the Fund of reconciliation and harmony, also the favorite of Patriarch Alexey II, Gulnaz Sotnikova got interested in the niche "stuffed" by Kamenschik for a long time. The Fund, with the blessing of the Moscow Patriarchate, which did not avoid anything mundane, set out to become the most important freight operator in the Chinese direction.
The idea of creating a "single agent" was presented as something noble. It was reported that only through the fund of Gulnaz carriers would be able to get the air corridors and customs tariffs. Mrs. Sotnikova told to the airlines that, well, guys, let's live together happily, otherwise you would have troubles, and at the highest level.
Clearly, traders of the consumer goods didn’t need Sotnikova’s patronage. And they gave a real strike - they canceled all cargo flights to China, Turkey and the Emirates for two weeks. Moreover, the mass media has started an unprecedented campaign against Sotnikova. Then, from the pages of newspapers there was a lot of dirt poured. And ... Gulnaz receded.
Source: “Stringer”, January 2002
In September 2000, the company of Dmitry Kamenschik was in the center of a serious criminal scandal. The General Director of the Airlines “East Line” Amiran Kurtanidze (on the eve his office was raided), said that the FSB had suspended the flights from the country of all airplanes. Moreover, it became known that the intelligence services suspect "East Line" in complicity with the terrorists. Mr Kurtanidze did not exclude the fact that his company problems are associated with his competitors’ attempts to intercept the part of extremely lucrative air cargo transportations in the Chinese direction.
At that time, the airlines "East Line" was part of the eponymous group of companies (all in the group of 22 firms), which ran airport Domodedovo near Moscow. The air fleet of "East Line" is one of the largest carriers in Russia, was comprised of over 50 aircrafts, including 25 transports Il-76TD. The main route of transportation - Russia-China.
On May 22nd, 2000 the freighter of the airlines “East Line" was flying from Shenyang (China)- Irkutsk-Moscow made an emergency landing in Kogalym. It turned out that the plane was overloaded. On this fact the Baikal-Amur transport prosecutor's office opened a criminal case - 11 "extra" tons of Chinese goods were declared contraband. The case was transferred to the North Eastern transport prosecutor's office. The head of SCC (State Customs Committee) press service, Vladimir Emelianov, told “Kommersant” that the cargo belonged to citizen of China and there was an investigation with this shipper. The airline is not the shipper and can be punished only as a carrier, so SCC has no claims for it.
Officially it was announced that investigations in the company's office were under investigation of "Kogalym" case. However, "East Line" lawyer Vsevolod Sazonov said that the documents were seized in connection with another criminal case - caused on the fact of the discovery of the improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in February and March 2000 at Sheremetyevo-1 airport. That's why a search was carried out by the FSB. How this actually affects the «East Line», a lawyer said he did not know. FSB also declined to specify the situation. In Sheremetyevo it was confirmed that the bombs with a capacity of 300-500 g of TNT equivalent were found and disabled on February 19 and March 30 at the building of training center of “Aeroflot” aviation personnel.
The anonymous sources close to the management of "East Line", suggested that the search was a part of a campaign to intimidate and discredit the entire group. In this "show trial" were supposedly interested the Moscow-area administration, which was in charge of Domodedovo airport, as well as the Fund of reconciliation and harmony, known for its business ties with the Moscow Patriarchate. Journalists wrote that the shippers for flights of "East Line" had often been Chinese companies owned by the entrepreneur Mrs. Lian Zhou allegedly collaborating with the fund.
Source: “Kommersant” № 176 (2061) from 21.9.2000
However, this story had no serious consequences for business of Kamenschik and in December 2000, a group of companies "East Line, renting Domodedovo, conducted a ceremony for its reconstruction.
Journalists had the impression that the ceremony of the reconstruction was necessary for "East Line" mainly to improve the image after the recent troubles with the FSB and customs.
Source: Journal of “Money” № 49 (302) from 13.12.2000
When a company of Dmitry Kamenschik had problems with the FSB, he went to his compatriot and the member of Putin's team Vladimir Kogan. Kogan (then the head of Promstroibank) had promised to resolve the conflict, as they said, for modest $ 6 million.
Thanks to Kogan, the next round of talks were hold in the summer of 2001 - counter-intelligence agents presented some of their trump cards: completed criminal case on smuggling and illegal financial activities, plus some films, exposing an unwholesome attraction of "East Line" Chairman of the Board of Directors to little boys.
Kamenschik agreed to transfer 25% stake of the group to “Rosoboronexport” – an old domain of the FSB.
Source: “Stringer”, January 2002
In late 2003, there was information in the press about Dmitry Kamenschik serious problems in relations with the management of the Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation. In this regard, Kamenschik had to quickly part with all the assets of his business, which were related to the production of equipment for the trains. It was about selling by "East Line" group its engineering business - the four companies with sales of about $ 100 million. They were formed into a holding company during 2003.
The group of Dmitry Kamenschik took up mechanical engineering in 2002, buying 98.19% stake of Demikhovsky Engineering Works
(DMZ, produced 72% of Russian trains).
In December 2002 at Domodedovo Airport the group registered “Scientific Production Association of Transport Engineering” JSC (NPO TE). The backbone of the team and management company was formed from the specialists of the construction department “Magistral”. NPO was engaged in construction development of rail engineering.
In the spring of 2003 the list of enterprises of "East Line" was enriched by Tver JSC “Tsentrosvar". If in the first quarter of 2003, the JSC was mainly owned by private owners “Ruspromavto”, “Rosvagonmash” and the company Stephens Capital Ventures SA, then in the second quarter, according to the Federal Commission for the Securities Market, 20.24% of the shares was owned by KTP Ltd, registered at Domodedovo airport , 30,7% - two Cypriot offshore companies close to "East Line" Leonidas Investments Ltd and Arminda Investments Ltd. "Tsentrosvar" manufactured welded metal constructions (up to 10 tons per year). The production of bogies was transferred to this enterprise from the DMZ.
In May, a group of "East Line" began buying up shares of the St. Petersburg Oktyabrsky car- Maintatance Factory. This is the largest enterprise on repair of trains, carriages, wheels and electric motors in North-Western region, the planned sales volume in 2003 - $ 16 million. According to Kommersant, the group managed to collect 50.5% of the shares of this Factory.
It was the time when there were problems with the assets of the group "East Line" on machine-building. A part of the shares of the DMZ (49%), the group acquired from the administration of the Moscow region. Its competitors in the tender procedure, the structure "Transgroup” (shareholder of Transmashholding), commenting on the deal, stressed that the regional administration was illegally sharing DMZ. But most important - the management of the group failed to find common ground with the buyer of the trains – Ministry of Railways and its successor JSC “Russian Railways” (RZD).
Source: “Kommersant” № 207 (2810) on 13.11.2003
In the mid of 2004 it became known about the sale of airlines "East Line" (included in the group "East Line"). New owner of the business of "East Line" was a group of businessmen headed by the co-owner of the cargo airline “Tesis” Alexey Kuimov.
Airline "Tesis", controlled by the former head of airline “Dobrolet” Alexey Kuimov had worked as a cargo carrier since 1994, and was based in Domodedovo and Irkutsk.
An intention to sell the traffic unit of the group was announced by Dmitry Kamenschik
for the first time in 2003. Such a decision in the group was explained by the intention to focus on airport business. Vladimir Ardashev, as the CEO of "Tesis", told Kommersant that negotiations between the management of "East Line" and businessmen headed by Alexey Kuimov started in 2003 and in April the paperwork began.
Source: “Kommersant” № 105 (2944) from 11.06.2004
In March 2005, it became known that the group "East Line", which managed Domodedovo airport, plans to sell one of the last non-core assets in its structure. The chairman of the Board of Directors Dmitry Kamenschik reported that the "East Line" began searching for buyers of their cargo agency. The most likely contender for the single purpose asset with an annual turnover of 11 thousand tons of cargo was considered the structures of airline “KrasAir”.
Source: “Kommersant” № 47 (3131) from 18.03.2005
After the above mentioned assets sales Dmitry Kamenschik took up investments in real estate development. In particular, in the spring of 2007 it became known that the group "East Line" starts the project "Aerotropolis", which implied the building of 20 thousand hectares near the airport Domodedovo. In 50 years time "East Line" with its partners planned to build hotels, logistic centers, offices and shopping malls in the area. It was assumed that the first target will be retail and entertainment center with an area of 300 thousand square meters, one of the largest in Moscow suburbs.
In this regard, journalists recalled that in 2005 the structures close to the "East Line" shareholders bought about 750 hectares of land at the airport Sheremetyevo-1 and now together with "Moscow River Shipping” invested more than $ 4 billion in construction of more than 5 million square meters of residential and commercial real estate.
Source: The newspaper “Kommersant” № 43 / P (3619) on 19.03.2007
In July 2007, journalists paid attention to the fact that Mr Kamenschik turned out to be a very tough competitor, actually having lured the major airline to its Domodedovo airport from Sheremetyevo. It was reported that the group "East Line", which manages Domodedovo airport, and German airline Lufthansa signed a memorandum, which implies the transfer of all flights of the carrier from Sheremetyevo. Thus, Lufthansa 35 years after the start of the regular flights to Russia decided to change its basic airport. Experts believe that this choice was influenced by the possibility of docking with the Russian avia aliance AiRUnion and foreign partners and service quality, and Sheremetyevo had lost up to 7% of income.
Despite the fact that the largest customer Sheremetyevo was “Aeroflot”, Lufthansa leave - was "sensitive loss", experts reported.
Source: The newspaper “Kommersant” № 121 (3697) of 12.07.2007
In June 2008, journalists in a fairly rigid form drew attention to the relationship between well-known journalist Vladimir Solovyov and Dmitry Kamenschik . In particular, they wrote about Soloviev’s wife birthday, which was ostensibly celebrated on the money that Kamenschik had paid him for information support of his judicial processes with "Rosimushchestvo" (i.e. Federal Property Management Agency). It was written that Solovyov rent an aircraft (Boeing 737) on the money of Kamenschik, the sum amounting to a quarter of his annual legal income, in Italy villas and restaurants were booked, famous artists were invited. According to the participants, the costs on this event were comparable with the budget of a small African state.
Source: "Moscow Post", 07.06.2008
In the summer of 2008 Dmitry Kamenschik was in the center of the conflict due to financial insolvency of the alliance AiRUnion, due to which the airports, in particular, "Domodedovo", ceased to serve the aircrafts entering into an alliance of companies. These aircrafts were released from "Domodedovo" only after they had received kerosene from “Rosrezerv”.
An agreement on the release of AiRUnion flights was reached with Domodedovo at a meeting chaired by the Minister of Transport Igor Levitin, late on Tuesday. As Kommersant source (familiar with the meeting) told, it lasted until the night: the owner of the "East Line" Dmitry Kamenschik continued to insist on returning by AiRUnion a debt of $ 2 billion rubles to the airport. "Rostekhnologii” confirmed its unwillingness to pay the debts of the alliance. Ultimately, officials, headed by Igor Levitin had managed to persuade Domodedovo to release AiRUnion flights only upon receiving fuel from “Rosrezerv”.
This situation implied that Mr Kamenschik at that time was already a very influential figure.
Source: “Kommersant” № 153 (3970) from 28.8.2008
A little later, journalists paid attention that
the behavior of the Domodedovo airport turned out to be completely unexpected to all participants in the process, when Domodedovo decided to stop servicing AiRUnion aircrafts until full repayment of the debt, which exceeded by that time 2 billion rubles. It was reported that the head of the Federal Air Transport Agency Evgeny Bachurin and Transport Minister Igor Levitin had personally travelled to persuade the head of "East Line" Dmitry Kamenschik, but in vain: on August 26, 2008 3,500 passengers could not fly out from Domodedovo, and still about 1,500 were stuck at regional airports, vainly awaiting the arrival of aircrafts from Moscow. As a result, the problems of civil aviation have received the attention of federal TV channels, but the case of AiRUnion was taken by Prosecutor General's Office.
It was written that Mr. Kamenschik did not get all his money, but prosecutors also filed a lawsuit against the airport, which then decayed.
Source: Journal “Money” № 38 (695) from 29.09.2008
The enormous opportunities of Dmitry Kamenschik are well seen in the next case.
On September 30, 2008 the Presidium of the Supreme Arbitration Court, chaired by its leader, Anton Ivanov put an end in a four-year history of the nationalization of airport Domodedovo-owned by the structures of "East Line". Court decisions in Moscow District, binding "East Line" to return the property to the state are abolished, the Federal Property Management Agency was not allowed to institute the lawsuit. The group "East Line", which is controlled by businessman Dmitry Kamenschik , had acquired the airport complex "Domodedovo" in 1997 from the state-owned “Domodedovo Production Association of Civil Aviation”. Costs of the "East Line" for the reconstruction of the complex, according to the Ministry of Transport, had exceeded $ 1 billion. Federal Property Management Agency had required the company “Hacienda” (the structure of the "East Line") to return 16 facilities to federal ownership, including three parts of the terminal building, landside area, parking, storage and technical rooms. Federal Property Management Agency referred to the fact that the airport complex was privatized illegally. “Hacienda” insisted that the facilities required by the Federal Property Agency no longer exist after the reconstruction of the complex.
Judges at Supreme Arbitration Court came to the conclusion that the transaction was properly aligned with the state authorities who had the right to dispose of state property. The judges also agreed that the group "East Line", with the expenses for reconstruction of the complex of more than $ 1 billion, created a new object, and Federal Property Management Agency missed the statute of limitations.
Source: Journal “Money” № 39 (696) on 10/06/2008
In July 2009, the press was splashed with the claim to Kamenschik from construction companies. The core of the problem of the claims amounted to the fact that Kamenschik and his managers used such a scheme of relationships with building contractors.
While concluding the construction contract (one of whose sides is "East Line"), builders are forced to provide a bank guarantee in case of underperformance of their planned activities. Then the builders in the form of an ultimatum are requested to assume the debts of other companies on other contracts, as Kogan and Kamenschik explain, it is necessary to make "tax optimization" – to increase the cost-side construction. In this case, non-existent "debts" fit into the current construction contract as an "advance payment" for work. It is said to the builders that it was a mere formality but a debt, of course, will subsequently be written off.
Then customers pick on trumped breach of contract and demand to return a non-existent "advance" and then placing the bank guarantee. The Bank is due to “East Line”. Of course, he in its turn has the right to file a claim against the builders, but those tend to have no money, because all the same "East Line" does not pay for work done according to the contract.
As the victims ZAO "INGEOCOM” CJSC and the SU-862 JSC “Transstroy”, “Sivas" LLC were mentioned in particular.
Source: "Paritet-media” from 29.07.2009
In late 2010, there was information on plans of the airport "Domodedovo" in 2011 to run IPO to raise $ 1 billion. Analysts believed that this could be worth 20% of the airport. In this regard, the journalists paid attention that the assets of the airport were structured by company activities in 12 companies, which beneficiary is "FML Limited”, registered on the British Isle of Man. It was reported that the airport is controlled by Valery Kogan and Dmitry Kamenschik.
Source: The newspaper “Kommersant” № 220 / P (4520) on 29.11.2010