I was born in Ussuriysk, where 50 percent of the population is military. And our family was military, and only military men came to visit. Therefore, I could not imagine any other profession for myself. I studied normally. I didn't skip classes. I thought it was ugly.

In 1985, I entered the Far Eastern Suvorov School, which was followed by the Donetsk Higher Military-Political School. And I left the armed forces in 1991, entering the Far Eastern State University at the Faculty of Law.

After Suvorovsky, I went to study at the Donetsk Higher Military-Political School. Then, however, I left anyway and ended up in the regular army. He served near Kiev in the Red Banner Kiev Military District - there were only alcoholics, ammunition taken from Europe was lying everywhere. Devastation and drunkenness. This was the end of perestroika, and I finally realized that the army was over for me. It was '91.

Me and my comrades at the Donetsk Higher Military-Political School

My life was most influenced by studying at a military school and serving in the army.

I am grateful to the army. There you grow up much faster: you begin to understand the value of words, camaraderie, and mutual assistance.

Half of my partners are my Suvorov cadet comrades. I have always gravitated towards close relationships with my staff; good relationships in a team are like an army thing. To some extent, I apply the practice of officer attitude towards personnel to subordinates.

In principle, the army is a very good business school. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else at that time. My path developed this way, and now I understand that military service is part of the path that I had to go through in order to become who I am now.

In 1991, I joined a special secret unit of the Ministry of Internal Affairs that fights crime. But since the state was getting worse and worse at fighting it, I also changed my mind about fighting it, having entered the Far Eastern State University in the Faculty of Law in 1993.

Actually, this was my path to
business - through understanding that
mine and what not.

In 1994, as a second-year student at Far Eastern State University, I joined the Pervorechensky District Court of Vladivostok as an assistant to the chairman of the court. But he soon decided to leave law and go into business. I realized that judging other people and defending criminals is not my thing at all.

Today, 20 years later, looking back, I understand that all my actions were correct, since I separated myself from not myself, walked exactly the path that was destined for me and became exactly who I was supposed to become.

I got into sausage making by accident. I had a friend
he suggested that I make sausage. If only cottage cheese
suggested it would be cottage cheese or bread, not sausage. All
happens by chance in life, but at the same time, if you
harmony with yourself, if you don't deceive yourself
and others, then everything will turn out for the best
way.

Thus, in 1997, together with a partner, we
"from scratch" they founded the company "Ratimir", which
today is the leader in the meat processing industry
industries in the Far East.

Initially, I had absolutely no intention of studying
meat processing in Moscow, because I had
well-established business in Vladivostok. But somehow in
conversation with my friend, the director of one of
largest meat processing companies at that time
factories in Moscow, noticed that it is now unrealistic
enter the capital market. I objected. We
We bet on a bottle of champagne.

With the support of friends and partners, I won the argument. In 2002, we began construction of a meat processing plant in Krasnoyarsk, and in 2007 we acquired a plant in Dmitrov.

I really love being in production. It is very important for me not to lose touch with people. At the same time, you need to be equally close to both top managers and ordinary workers. Not all of them, of course, but I know many of the workers by name. If you respect your employees, if they know that for you they are not just subordinates, but living people with their own joys and problems, then you will have a highly loyal company and you will be able to realize all your ideas.

I am very pleased when I show up at the factory in the morning and a guy, some driver, who is on his way to the store, immediately approaches me. “Oh, Vadim, hello! How are you? Well, I ran." You see, there is nothing better than this. This is a great thing.

This famous Russian entrepreneur, and perhaps his products, are known to many in our country. Vadim Dymov - He owns factories producing bookstores, a chain of restaurants, and ceramic production.

How it all began

Dymov Vadim Georgievich (real name Zasypkin) was born in the distant city of Ussuriysk, located in the Primorsky region, in 1971. He graduated from the Suvorov Military School in his hometown in 1988, and then from the Higher Military School in Donetsk. He also graduated from a state university in 1999, received In his second year he already worked in court, but quickly realized that jurisprudence was not for him, and decided to start his own business.

Company "Ratimir"

Vadim Dymov, whose biography could have turned out differently, began his entrepreneurial activity in the Far East. In 1997, he, together with Alexander Trush, his friend and partner, created the Ratimir company. It should be noted that today it is one of the leading and most successful in the Far East.

Dymov Company

Inspired by the first success, in 2001 Vadim Dymov created his own company in Moscow. It must be said that she very quickly occupied her niche in the Moscow market, which did not accept many novice businessmen. The Dymov company was able to compete with more well-known productions.

Ceramics production

Vadim Dymov worked successfully in Moscow, but the metropolis tired him, and he decided to buy an old, but quite strong house in Suzdal with a real Russian stove, decorated with perfectly preserved tiles. After some time, Vadim noticed that in the city, where there are many tourists all year round, no one makes souvenir ceramics in the Russian style.

While the construction of a workshop for a new enterprise was underway, Vadim Dymov announced a competition for the students of the local art school to recreate the ancient Suzdal style. He managed to find experienced, high-quality potters. I found a person who could be trusted to manage the new enterprise. Today the Suzdal Ceramics company produces original dishes and tiles for famous restaurateurs, designers and hand-made lovers. The company's employees managed to collect a unique collection of samples. Some of them date back to the fifteenth century.

"Suzdal Ceramics" today

Nowadays, Dymov's workshop has become a real landmark of the ancient city. Once, while traveling around Russia, the English Prince Mike of Kent dropped into the workshop. What he saw impressed him so much that he invited Vadim to open his own store in London and even promised to assist in this matter. But Vadim Dymov had his own opinion on this matter; he was firmly convinced that his first store should open in Moscow.

Book Shop

In 2006, our hero opened his first bookstore, “Republic”. It was created according to the European model. Dymov plans to open a chain of such stores.

"Dymov No. 1"

Also in 2006, the successful entrepreneur was introduced to a famous restaurateur in Moscow. A year later, the new partners opened a chain of beer restaurants. It was called "Dymov No. 1". You can spend time pleasantly and comfortably with good friends there, and if you wish, order semi-finished meat dishes, for example, marinated shish kebab. Everything a talented entrepreneur undertakes becomes original and exclusive.

Vadim Dymov: personal life

Almost seven years ago, a businessman met the beautiful Evgenia at work. They were united by their love of music. Vadim Dymov's common-law wife gave birth to his son. They have not yet formalized their relationship, but it is unlikely that anyone can call Dymov a bachelor. This couple is surprisingly harmonious, and all the family’s friends claim that Vadim is a great father.

Junior Dymov

Andrei Dymov is only six years old, but he already goes to an English school, dreams of becoming a football player and is dressed like his dad, who last year became the strongest man in the business. Vadim with his son and a ball in his hands can often be seen in Krylatskoye, not far from the Dymov store. They often play sports here, ride bicycles and just walk.

Hobbies and interests

Vadim Dymov is a big fan of fast driving. He knows a lot about motorcycles and skiing. These sports are quite consistent with his character and help him keep himself in excellent physical shape. Likes to “cheer” for football. He often travels to England to attend matches of his favorite team, Liverpool. He plays the electric guitar and has his own musical group. He collects old Soviet tape recorders, vinyl records, and is interested in the works of the artist Mayorov. He reads a lot and enthusiastically. Basically, these are history books. Twice a month he likes to relax at his dacha in Suzdal. He is not picky about food, but admits that he eats a lot of sausage. He loves it in any form: boiled, fried, baked.

Dream

Vadim hopes that in the near future he will be able to make a documentary film. It should be about our country and the people living in it.

Emotions for business

Entrepreneur Vadim Dymov about his principles in business, key qualities of employees, military youth and choice of cars

Our interlocutor is a multifaceted person. Perhaps he gained the greatest fame when he began producing Dymov meat products. His other project also concerns food, but this time spiritual - this is the Respublika bookstore chain. The businessman’s assets also include agricultural enterprises in Siberia and Kuban, plus ceramic production in Suzdal. This conversation began with a question about them.

Your projects are very different. Which one is closest to you as a person?

It would probably be unfair to say that one or the other is less valuable or interesting; they are all equally important to me. Another thing is that some are more emotional, others I would call traditional. Like, for example, “Dymov,” which rests more on conservative views. If we talk about “Republic”, then this is rather a childhood dream realized. This is a cool project, fun - with music, with interactivity. Although marketing specialists believe that all my projects are somewhat similar.

What? What fundamental things do you put into business?

First of all - openness. We have no secrets; every project is designed to interact with clients and consumers. For example, at the meat processing plant in Krylatskoye, we even give free excursions, showing how and what our sausages are made from. Master classes were also held there for schoolchildren. In turn, many young people work at Respublika, and we welcome these people to express their point of view and not hide it. And it is not welcome when someone lies and tries to “go over the ears” of the client. If you don’t know something, just say it directly and call someone who can help and explain.

Is agriculture a forced business? To provide yourself with a raw material base?

To some extent, this step was predetermined by the way the industry and agriculture developed as a whole. We acquired more collective farms in the Krasnoyarsk Territory because we wanted to help people who at that moment found themselves in a difficult situation. And at first they didn’t even realize how difficult it was. Of course, there are fewer emotions there than in bookstores, but the people working on the land are much more serious - strong, thorough, reliable. If only the world consisted of such people, then we would all live in an idyll.

How involved are you in your businesses?

As a matter of principle, I don’t “dive” too deeply into processes, but I know everything that happens in the company. Although I understand the technology of meat processing production well, since for a long time my partner was an Austrian - one of the best technologists in the world in this industry. He and I traveled across half of Europe, and since then I have known a lot. At Respublika, I feel less like a trader, although you can indeed often meet me in the hall. I just like communicating with people and getting information from them. In general, I love people and am wildly social myself. And feedback from employees and clients is very important.

What do you value most in employees - loyalty, creativity?

Loyalty is not a bad word, but I would still replace it with involvement. I also appreciate their openness, sincerity, professionalism, and consistency. And also the fact that you can learn a lot from them, there are simple mechanics that will show and explain in a way that no professor can do. It's like in the army: some majors can teach more than some generals.

Did you find your military youth useful?

I lived this life for many years, and in some ways romanticized it. And then I realized that all gentlemanly principles originate in the army environment. Even fashion - French jackets, cufflinks. For men, military service has always been considered a kind of test and growing up. I think it would be right for every man to spend ten years in his youth serving in the army. For example, thanks to this, even now I am a very unpretentious person - not demanding of housing, hotels, food, indifferent to luxury. Except that motorcycles and cars stand apart for me - they’re like horses or some kind of equipment for the military in the past.

So you prefer utilitarian cars?

In different circumstances - different. For example, in Suzdal, where we have had a house for fifteen years, I drive an old Zhiguli, this is a VA3 2103, produced in 1972. Every detail in it is original, but perfectly restored. And I love driving this car - it’s an indescribable pleasure! At the same time, I get from Moscow to Suzdal exclusively by motorcycle in the summer or by train in the winter - I don’t want to waste time in traffic jams. For the same reason, I travel around Moscow with a driver - I usually work in the passenger seat. But on weekends and outside the city I enjoy driving.

And in that case, what do you choose?

First up, there's the 1976 Jaguar XJ-C, awesome car! I think that in terms of handling and comfort, this is one of the best models of its era. But mostly - both behind the wheel and as a passenger - I drive a Range Rover, since I prefer SUVs. By the way, I was waiting for the new generation of this British car and I was not mistaken, I am completely satisfied with it: it has some element of gentlemanliness, aristocracy. I don’t like cars that don’t have a soul, but here I feel it.

What is Vadim Dymov like outside of business?

I like to run, and on the street - I don’t like fitness clubs, except maybe the swimming pool. In winter I use cross-country skiing, although I also enjoy downhill skiing. I like football: both playing and rooting for Liverpool. At the same time, Suzdal is something more than just a dacha. This is the place where I find meaning for myself in some subsequent movement. And, it seems to me, my friends and I, in cooperation with local authorities, can change this city for the better. In particular, we are trying to help develop a concept for its development for several decades, including for its 1000th anniversary in 2024.

Dossier

Vadim Dymov was born in 1971 in Ussuriysk. After graduating from the Suvorov Military School, he entered the Donetsk Higher Military-Political School, and after that also the Far Eastern State University, Faculty of Law. However, he soon decided to leave law and went into business. The first project was the meat processing company "Ratimir" in Vladivostok. In 2001, he created the Dymov company in Moscow, in 2005 he launched the Suzdal Ceramics factory, which produces ceramic products in the old Russian style, and a year later he opened the first bookstore of the European format, Respublika. Today the holding also includes farms in the Krasnoyarsk and Krasnodar territories. Vadim Dymov is married and has two sons.

Author Andrey Bezverkhov, editor-in-chief of Avtopanorama magazine Photo by Kirill Kaylin

— Is the investment market now able to give what you want from it?

— I think that some investors have money. You just need to pick up the pace and generally comprehend this idea. We've had this idea for a long time, but now it's more or less focused. It is difficult to ensure strong growth without money; you need money anyway. We don’t lose control, but we also have to give some investor the opportunity to make money, right? Therefore, there is a question of joint profitable growth.

— 2017 is ending soon — what results are you finishing with and what financial plans do you want to enter next year with?

— At the end of 2017, the revenue of the Dymov group will be more than 15 billion rubles. In 2017, we increased production volume by 12%: we will produce about 50 thousand tons of meat products, 26 thousand tons of milk and 24 thousand tons of grain. Now our company occupies 4% of the Russian industrial meat processing market.

Photo: Vladimir Pesnya / RIA Novosti

Next, we want to develop our own livestock farming, increase the share of our own raw materials from the current 30 to 70%. I have a goal for the company’s revenue to grow annually by 10-12%. The target for net profit growth is 25-30% per year, or +100% over the next three years.

“I have a dream - to build an agricultural college”

— The Dymov company is known primarily as a manufacturer of sausages. But, like many other companies, you are expanding your business and developing the dairy sector: in the spring of 2017, you acquired a dairy farm near Suzdal, but there were no details of the project. What are you planning to do there? ​

— I purchased a ready-made project near Suzdal. This is the Tarbaevo farm, a medium-sized farm with 1 thousand heads of dairy herd - Holstein cows, they are also called “black-and-white” in Russian. We have agreements, but so far verbal, with one of the banks that they will support us in expanding the farm to 2.4 thousand heads. Then within three years we plan to increase the number of cows to 5 thousand. In addition, we have an agreement to build a modern pig farm there, near Suzdal. We plan to complete construction by early 2019.

At the Tarbaevo farm we already produce raw milk, which we sell to large companies for processing. Now we are not the largest supplier, but it is a matter of time, as they say. In the future, there are many plans. There are ideas for producing high-quality yoghurts, and I don’t rule out creating our own cheese production. But to implement these plans I need a sufficient amount of milk. There is not yet the required volume of raw materials to create processing.

— Do you hope to create your own dairy brand in the future?

- I think yes.

- Also “Dymov”? Or some other one?

- Let's see. Let's come up with some kind of “Suzdal Milkman”. Just kidding, of course, it will be called something else. Maybe “Dymov” too.

— How much do you plan to invest in the development of livestock projects near Suzdal?

— The total investment in all agricultural projects of the group is about 7 billion rubles. for three years, of which 1.5 billion rubles. we have already invested. Land for the construction of farms has been allocated, and design is currently underway. There is a plan to create a strong project in Suzdal - there is such fertile land there and there are practically no large producers, only small farms around. And I also have a dream - to build an agricultural college there: the village needs young specialists, and their current level, to put it mildly, does not meet any challenges.

— Cheese production is a very popular topic, but complex. Producers complain that there is not enough quality milk to produce this product.

- Yes it's true. This is such a dream, but it is very difficult. I don't want to do anything. And you don’t want to make cheap cheese, because there’s already plenty of it. Although it’s difficult to call it cheese, of course... There are heaps of cheese products in Russia. If we're going to make a product, it's a good one. In my life I always aim to do something of high quality, no matter what.

— In Suzdal, you personally develop ceramic production - what caused the emergence of this direction?

— Moreover, we have begun construction of a ceramics factory in Suzdal. 15 years ago we had a small workshop (“Dymov Ceramics” was founded in 2003. — RBC), now we want to build a small production. The investments are not huge - about $5 million, but for this industry these are tangible funds. This year we will produce about 100 thousand products. After the completion of the plant in 2018, production volume will increase fivefold.

Ceramic workshop "Dymov Ceramics" in Suzdal (Photo: Vladimir Smirnov / TASS)

First of all, we produce tableware for the b2b sector, this is not a mass product like IKEA, this is professional tableware for restaurants. We work in the middle segment and above - something like brands like Le Creuset. Restaurants are already actively asking for our product.

— By the way, about restaurants. You had a restaurant project in Moscow with Arkady Novikov - three restaurants under the Dymov No. 1 brand. Now there is only one left, in Suzdal.

- Yes. And I'm happy that I only have one. This business requires a lot of personal time and attention. Perhaps I will have some restaurants in Moscow, but this is a separate job. Industrial production is one thing, but working in a restaurant is completely different. There is more of a chef and less of you, less processes, more creativity and service.

What is the Dymov group known for?

The Dymov Group is one of the largest Russian producers of sausages and meat delicacies. The company was founded by Vadim Dymov in 2001. The group includes three factories (in Moscow, Krasnoyarsk and Dmitrov) and two livestock complexes (in the Krasnoyarsk and Krasnodar Territories), as well as a dairy farm near Suzdal. The company produces sausages, frankfurters, ham, snacks and other meat products - about 300 items in total under the trademarks Dymov, Picolini, Meat Chips, Stickado and Dmitrovsky Meat Processing Plant. Dymov occupies 4% of the Russian industrial meat processing market.

Vadim Dymov develops individual projects independently, and they have nothing to do with the Dymov group - this is the Respublika bookstore chain and the Dymov Ceramics production of ceramics in Suzdal.

"I'm careful, it's no secret"

— Are there any other plans to diversify the business? For example, Miratorg announced projects in the production of animal feed and leather production for car showrooms.

— I have a lot of ideas in my head. Perhaps there are some ideas, but for me to voice it and say that we are going there would be a jinx. We had a project with the Metro company on vegetables: in 2014 we wanted to build greenhouses and supply vegetables for sale to the company’s centers. I did everything to ensure that it was realized, but this is a difficult business, and we abandoned the project. In general, I never like to jump into the fire and immediately stand in line for “hot cakes.” For example, three years ago everyone rushed into vegetables. And I thought, “No, I’ll be the last one, if at all.” It's the same in livestock farming. And I was the last in milk. Of course, not the very last, but, as they say, I jumped into the last carriage.

— In general, you are a cautious businessman.

- I'm careful, it's no secret. I have a motto: a chicken pecks a grain at a time - and in principle it would benefit everyone. I lived in Suzdal for several years before I started building a ceramics production there, and then I started an agricultural project. It could have been done earlier, but I'm never in a hurry. This is my motto: take your time. When I was young, I was very excited, I rushed at everything, accepted the challenge, responded to the challenge. This year I am finishing my master's degree at the Faculty of History of Moscow State University. This had a huge impact on me. History has shown me that you should never rush into a decision. Now my strategy is this: benefit society, create useful services, facilities, and products for it.

Vadim Dymov (Photo: Vladislav Shatilo / RBC)

“Russia will not fully withstand this game in the WTO”

— In addition to the topic of import substitution, which is popular in connection with food sanctions, there is a second trend — the development of exports of Russian products. What role do you assign to this? How much is Russian sausage in demand abroad?

— Now we are trying to work in the Baltic market, we produce meat products in Latvia under the Dymov brand and partially work in the German and Polish markets. We have a partner there, we can say that this is a franchise. And the Dymov company is a large producer of meat products in Israel. Our partner is a kibbutz (agricultural commune. - RBC) "Lahav".

— Is this a joint venture?

- Well, you could say it's a joint venture. We help them a lot. They work and study with us. I would never have thought or believed it if it had not happened to me. We actually produce there.

— Are these kosher products?

- No. This is the entire range of products under the Dymov brand. Over the past two years, production in Israel has doubled to more than 300 tons per year. This is a lot for the Israeli market. Now they are working on producing dry-cured and raw smoked sausage. A lot of our former compatriots live there, and I think that the culture of meat delicacies was exported there by them. There was a request.

— What other export markets are you interested in?

— If it weren’t for the “squeezing” of the neck (sanctions. — RBC), then we would calmly think about being produced in Germany, in France - anywhere.

— Are we talking about opening your own production there?

- Yes. I had no doubt that this would happen, but this situation with sanctions happened.

— But sooner or later the sanctions will be lifted, then will you return to these plans?

— I was thinking about buying a company in Europe. We in Austria at one time produced a lot of raw smoked sausage: we placed an order with the Austrians, and they produced us a product of known quality. The recipe was ours, everything was ours, they simply produced it for us. I even thought about buying this company. They even started offering it to me themselves, because everything was leading up to it. But first the first crisis in 2008, then the second crisis, and off we go...

- But what is the point of producing in Austria and bringing here? This is a question of logistics and price.

— Russia is a member of the WTO, we are part of the world market and are no different from them. This is a high price segment, raw smoked sausage. We didn't carry cheap ones.

— What prevented you from producing here?

— Power, quality. You need to invest about €20-30 million in such factories. But after the embargo was introduced, we completely changed the business model. Even earlier, I began to understand that Russia would not fully withstand this game in the WTO, and it became clear that it was necessary, first of all, to develop its processing here.

“There are boring shops, and then there is Respublika”

— Besides the food business, what other projects are you interested in?

— I have a project “Republic” (a chain of bookstores. — RBC). It is gradually developing. And I like that it is not developing like in the heady 2000s: “Yesterday I opened 1,000 stores and closed 500 at once,” but is developing organically.

— Is this a business for you or “for the soul”?

— This is more of a business, but it has no less social and semantic load. I am very pleased to have this asset: I see how important it is for the comfort of Muscovites. I am incredibly glad that the book does not leave their lives. “Respublika” is part of Moscow life: the first store was on Tverskaya, now there are 30 of them, three of them in St. Petersburg. I think this is a very correct project, it stems from the needs and aspirations of the residents, and only we have this. If you go to Berlin, to London, to Paris, there is no such thing there. There is a purely bookstore, but we have a little bit of everything. There are boring shops, and then there is Respublika.

Photo: Alexey Filippov / Kommersant

— There was an idea to open in Berlin, there was an idea in London. But for now...

- Frozen?

- Yes. Why take the risk? Of course, it was possible to build in London and Berlin, but the image... It’s difficult for Russia to go anywhere at all. We have room to develop in Russia too. The project is well-known, it will soon be 12 years old. In big cities everyone is waiting for “Republic”. We do not yet have enough strength to start doing logistics to Kazan, Nizhny Novgorod, and large cities with a population of over a million: Voronezh, Novosibirsk, Krasnoyarsk. Every year we add four to five stores.

“Restrictions are not what inspire people to do business.”

— Research results show that Russians began to eat less sausage, one of the reasons is the desire for proper nutrition.

- This is wrong. I think healthy eating is absolutely a marketing ploy. It is believed that Europe has a healthy diet, but their consumption of meat products is twice as high as ours. Our focus on healthy eating is local and not for everyone - within the Garden Ring. I think that the state of the market is largely related to income - it was their fall that led to a decline in the sausage market.

— Does the market continue to fall?

— Based on the results of the first half of 2017, the volume of the [sausage products] market decreased by 4.3% compared to the same year in 2016. Competition in the market is growing, large companies are consolidating, weak ones are leaving. Promotional (with discounts. - RBC) sales increase, and this helps keep the market from falling, but because of this, profitability falls. You know that promotional sales in the sausage market reach 60% - this is a huge number. The share of promotional sales in sausages reaches, in my opinion, up to 70%. There is no advantage in this, it seems to me, neither to us nor to the networks, but such are the realities. Most likely, this is due to price wars within the networks themselves. We just adapt to our partners.

— What is happening in general with prices for processed products? Did you change the price tag this year, how much?

— In October 2017, the increase in prices for sausages compared to the same period last year was 3.2% [in retail prices]. The largest increase was shown by boiled sausages - 3.4%, the smallest by deli meats - 2.7%. The growth for dumplings is higher than for sausages - 4%. An increase in prices is always connected with something - with an increase in energy tariffs, with ruble inflation. Our prices are rising less than in the market as a whole (the company does not disclose the exact figure. - RBC). But this requires stable raw materials. If the market were stable, it would be much easier. And when the raw materials market goes up and down, it’s very difficult.​

— Russia recently banned the import of beef and pork from Brazil, the largest exporter. Some domestic meat processors have already warned that there will be problems with raw materials and prices may rise.

— I allow price jumps of 5-10%, but when moments like this happen, you have to think hard. Constraints are not what inspire people to do business. Over the past ten years, a lot of people have invested in food production. We are greatly affected by [such decisions on bans], we are forced to react to it all the time. If they had warned at least six months, three months in advance, that such work on possible supply restrictions was being carried out - if the Brazilians did not correct the situation, we would close it - that would have been fair. I think it was more about the export balance. We buy more from them than they buy from us, and they are forced to import.

— Do you believe in the agricultural renaissance that everyone is talking about now?

— To a greater or lesser extent, I am inclined to believe that it has already arrived, because it is difficult not to notice any changes. Perhaps agriculture is one of the industries where entrepreneurs could see that the president and the government really want changes, which cannot be said, for example, about processing. At what cost was this done? There are many questions here. I think that about 50% of enterprises are now not in the best position and constitute the so-called bad assets of banks. But perhaps there was no other way.

— Why did it happen that 50% of agricultural producers are “not in the best condition”? What does this depend on?

— From the quality of management, from the quality of investment, from administrative reforms, the work of the judicial and law enforcement systems. If all this worked as it should, we would improve the result by at least 25%. I don't see a problem in the agricultural business itself.

— What measures would help?

— In my opinion, support measures should also apply to the processing industries, otherwise we will not be able to update either the fleet or the equipment. We had a strong meat processing industry at one time. She's not the strongest right now. It’s easy to lose an industry, but it will take decades to restore it. We need subsidies and an equipment leasing program. I'm not talking about any subsidies. And secondly, in general - stability, quick resolution of issues related to document flow. We are like factories producing not products, but [official] papers. A veterinary certificate is simply an anachronism. Do you think it’s normal to pay half a million dollars a year on paper? That's funny. Why do doctors work in factories? This is called the illusion of control: the state creates an illusion by introducing endless bureaucracy. At the same time, our plant has its own quality management system. Control is carried out at all stages: from the arrival of raw materials to the output of the finished product. But where should we put them, all these doctors? We understand that there is nowhere to put all these people.​​

Seven facts about Vadim Dymov

1988 - graduated from the Ussuri Suvorov Military School

1991 - graduated from the Far Eastern State University, Faculty of Law

1997 - founded the meat processing company "Ratimir" in Vladivostok

2001 - together with partners founded the Dymov company in Moscow

2006 - opened the Respublika bookstore in Moscow

2008 - became the main co-owner of Dymov Sausage Production LLC, purchasing a 38 percent share from his partner Alexander Trush

Vadim Dymov- is one of the cohort of successful businessmen of the new generation, a well-known manufacturer of premium meat products. The combined turnover of his companies, which includes sausage factories, a chain of restaurants, bookstores, publishing and ceramic production, is estimated at $300-400 million a year.

Vadim Dymov was born on August 27, 1971 in Ussuriysk, Primorsky Territory. After graduating from the Ussuri Suvorov Military School and the Donetsk Higher Military-Political School, he received an education at the Faculty of Law of the Far Eastern State University. Already in his second year, he began working in one of the district courts of Vladivostok. But soon he decided to leave jurisprudence and go into business: I realized that judging other people, even as a lawyer, was not for me, Vadim recalls.

In 1994, he retired from military structures with the rank of senior lieutenant.

In 1994-1997 worked as an assistant to the chairman of one of the district courts of Vladivostok.

In 1997, with his partner Alexander Trush, Vadim Dymov founded the Ratimir company, which to this day is one of the leaders in the meat processing industry in the Far East. To date, Trush and Dymov remain the main shareholders of the company.

In 2001, in Moscow, Vadim created the Dymov company, which actively declared itself and in a very short time was able to win the necessary market share, providing worthy competition to manufacturers already existing in the meat industry. Production facilities owned by Vadim Dymov are located in the Far East and Moscow.

In 2005, he built a factory for the production of ceramic products in Suzdal.

Dymov bought an old house in Suzdal, in which there was a stove decorated with tiles. Then I noticed that in a city that is always full of tourists, for some reason no one makes souvenir ceramics in the old Russian style. But the co-owner of the largest meat processing company in the Far East, Ratimir, would hardly have made it to Suzdal if he had not bought a plant in Moscow that had not been operating for a long time in 2001 to create a new production facility. When Dymov purchased a house with a stove, his Moscow enterprise was already selling sausages and hams with might and main. “Why ceramics? Probably because I am interested in history and love beautiful things made by hand,” he says.

While the workshop was being built, Vadim Dymov announced a competition to recreate the Suzdal style at the local art school. I found experienced potters. I found someone to entrust the management of the enterprise to. “I didn’t have any business plan, but the feeling of inevitable demand was present from the very beginning,” says Vadim Dymov. Now “Suzdal Ceramics” makes dishes and tiles to order for restaurateurs, designers and simply connoisseurs of hand-made: its employees have collected a rich archive of samples dating back to the 15th century. Dymov had just completed equipping the workshop. In the meantime, machines and ovens were being installed, he increased the capacity of his Moscow plant and built a meat processing factory in Krasnoyarsk on a partnership basis. Now he is thinking about what to do next - what products he could start producing.

Dymov's workshop has already become a landmark of Suzdal. In October, during his next trip to Russia, British Prince Michael of Kent and his wife stopped by. What he saw - the quality of the products coupled with the prices - impressed the prince so much that he advised the owner of Suzdal Ceramics to open a store in London and even offered his assistance. But by that time Vadim Dymov had already decided that he would open his first store in Moscow. For now, he prefers not to call his venture a business and says that the creative search is not completed.

“We are preparing not only an assortment, but a whole concept,” says the entrepreneur. “Our stores should not just sell ceramics, but demonstrate how they can be used in a modern kitchen, combined with fashionable glass and other accessories. I want to create demand for authentic Russian things.”

In 2006, he opened a European-style bookstore "Republic", which first opened its doors in 2006. In the near future, it is planned to open several more stores of the same name. The design, concept and corporate identity, developed with the participation of Berlin architects and artists, bring to mind the French book supermarkets Fnak - with a similar assortment. The moderate selection of fiction is offset by a huge number of art and design albums. In addition, here you can buy CDs with the latest music, the best stationery, bags, watches and Moleskine notebooks.

In 2006, thanks to mutual friends, Vadim Dymov met Moscow restaurateur Arkady Novikov. A year later, the partners launched a network of new city beer restaurants, Dymov No. 1, which provide the opportunity to comfortably and democratically spend time with friends or order ready-made food for tomorrow. For example, the marinated kebab that visitors prepare themselves on a weekend with friends will not be store-bought, but from a restaurant.

Another event this year was the opening of a subsidiary of the Dymov company in Kuban. Dymov-Yug LLC will be located in the Krasnodar region (Bryukhovetsky district, Bolshoi Beisug village). Dymov's share in the authorized capital of the new company was 51%, or 1.02 million rubles.

Vadim Dymov tries to maintain exclusivity and originality in everything he does. In the Republic, in addition to books, there are lifestyle goods, which, according to him, cannot be found in any other store in Moscow. Among the original meat products you can name turkey with pear or paprika, ham with real strawberries. For last Victory Day, the plant produced a special batch of sausage for veterans - the Berlin operation, where a map of Europe in 1945 was depicted on the packaging. By doing this, the businessman emphasizes the premium quality of his brand, attracting a selective target audience.

Being interested in contemporary art, Vadim is interested in the paintings of the 80-90s by the contemporary Vladivostok artist Andrei Mayorov. Among Vadim Dymov's hobbies are cars and motorcycles. In one of his interviews, he talked about his dream of traveling around the world on a motorcycle, which he plans to realize in the future. In the businessman’s fleet, in addition to his daily Mercedes and a large collection of motorcycles, there is his favorite bright red Zhiguli 03 model with its original Fiat engine, produced in 1972. I really like driving this car around Moscow, it’s very elegant, reminiscent of childhood. There was exactly the same in our family,” Vadim recalls. There is another legendary car - the Nissan Skyline GTR, a right-hand drive sports car, a repeated winner of the most prestigious races in Japan and around the world.

By giving his name to the brands launched on the market, Vadim Dymov demonstrated that he would not be ashamed of the quality of his products. At the businessman’s factories, modern production is organized, equipped with the latest technology. My projects are aimed at an audience that is demanding about the quality of products, the level of service, literature, music, themselves and the quality of life in general,” says Vadim.