Alexey Dobashin Businessman, Head of the KROST concern Date of Birth: 08.12.1961 Country: Russia

Biography of Alexei Dobashin

Alexei Dobashin is a businessman and the CEO of the "KROST" conglomerate. He was born in Moscow in 1961 to a family of builders. At the age of 14, Alexei started his working life by taking a job at a factory. In 1984, he graduated from the Moscow Institute of Civil Engineering with a degree in civil engineering and later served in the army. In the late 1980s, Dobashin was appointed as the head of a department in the Moscow branch of the All-Union Association "Sojuzsportstroi" and held this position until 1991. In 1990, while still working at "Sojuzsportstroi", Dobashin decided to start his own business and formed a team of builders. This marked the beginning of the "KROST" conglomerate, which initially started as a cooperative called "Krovlya i Stroitelstvo" (Roofing and Construction) or "KROST" for short. Over time, this small venture grew into one of the largest construction conglomerates in Russia. The establishment of the company coincided with a challenging economic period in Russia, where every production-related necessity, be it purchasing, selling concrete with delivery, or obtaining municipal approvals, was a complex process. Dobashin had to learn to be a leader on the job.

Despite the difficulties, Dobashin was driven by his passion for construction and his belief that Russians could excel in this field. He recalls his initial goal, stating, "When I started my business and had a team of only ten people, I wanted to prove that Russians can build. That was my childhood goal. But with experience, it transformed into something greater..."

During this time, Dobashin balanced his private business ventures with his job at "Sojuzsportstroi". Although the official work did not always bring financial satisfaction, the young entrepreneur cultivated valuable connections with Moscow's government structures. Between 1992 and 1997, Dobashin's company received several contracts for the reconstruction of administrative buildings. Although these projects did not yield significant profits, they laid the foundation for future success. In 1997, Alexei Dobashin built his first residential building near Paveletsky Railway Station. As of today, the "KROST" conglomerate has constructed or reconstructed approximately 200 buildings. In 2008, "KROST" completed the construction of 120,000 square meters of space. Alexei Dobashin continues to work 15 hours or more per day and has not taken a vacation since starting his own business.

In recognition of his achievements, Dobashin was named "Entrepreneur of the Year" by the "RosBusinessConsulting" agency in 2003. In 2004, he was honored with the title of "Honorary Builder of Russia". Apart from his business pursuits, Dobashin is also a professor at the International Academy of Architecture.

Alexei Dobashin is married and has two daughters. Despite everything, he remains a romantic at heart, seeing his profession as a builder through rose-colored glasses. He says, "Romanticism always remains, no matter the age. Even now, I look at my work with optimism. It helps me enjoy life and overlook the temporary difficulties that have been, are, and will be."