Roman Vasilenko and Modern Housing Cooperatives: From an Idea to a Large-Scale Project

Why the Cooperative Principle Became Relevant Again in Russia

The Return of a Collective Approach to Solving Housing Needs

Housing cooperatives have a long history in Russia, but for many years after the country transitioned to a market economy, they remained on the periphery of public attention. Mortgages gradually became the primary tool for purchasing housing, while cooperative mechanisms were viewed mainly as a legacy of the Soviet period.

In the 2010s, the situation began to change. Against the backdrop of growing interest in alternative financial instruments, the possibility of citizens collectively participating in the purchase of real estate once again became a subject of discussion. Roman Viktorovich Vasilenko was among the entrepreneurs who actively promoted this concept.

His involvement in the development of the Best Way cooperative brought him the greatest recognition. The organization developed a system based on pooling members’ funds to purchase apartments on an ongoing basis.

Vasilenko presented the cooperative principle as one possible way of addressing housing needs. Unlike the conventional banking model, the emphasis here was not on borrowing from a financial institution but on the collective use of the participants’ own resources.

In addition to his business activities, Vasilenko was involved in education, public speaking, and media projects. As a result, his name became associated not only directly with the cooperative but also with the broader promotion of the idea of collective cooperation.

How Cooperatives Operate in Different Countries

The principle of citizens joining together to address housing needs emerged long before modern Russian projects. Cooperative forms of property ownership, construction, and management exist in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Sweden, Brazil, Uruguay, and other countries.

Depending on the legislation of a particular country, cooperatives may be involved in constructing buildings, purchasing properties, or subsequently maintaining and managing them. A common feature of these systems is the participation of a large number of citizens within a single organization.

Russia also has a historical precedent for this model. During the Soviet period, housing construction cooperatives became widespread. Through these cooperatives, citizens could participate in financing construction and purchasing apartments.

Such organizations were particularly significant from the 1960s through the 1990s. However, the economic transformations of the late 20th century changed the structure of the housing market. Bank financing became increasingly important, while mortgages gradually became the primary form of housing credit familiar to the general population.

Against this background, the cooperative model largely disappeared from the mainstream public agenda for an extended period. Its renewed discussion in Russia began mainly in the 2010s.

Best Way was established in 2014. The organization subsequently changed its legal status and became an interregional consumer cooperative in 2021.

The Best Way Financial Model

The mechanism publicly associated with Best Way involved an initial financial contribution from the individual. According to the description provided, the initial contribution could amount to approximately 35–50% of the cost of the selected apartment.

Once the necessary funds had been accumulated, the cooperative purchased the property using the pooled resources of its members. The person who received the housing then continued to fulfill the financial obligations stipulated by the cooperative with respect to the remaining portion of the purchase price.

Supporters of the system identified the absence of a conventional bank interest rate as its main advantage over a traditional mortgage. Under this approach, financial relationships were established primarily within the cooperative itself.

The collective principle was at the heart of the concept. A participant became part of a community in which the funds contributed by many people were used to purchase real estate on an ongoing basis.

Over time, the project expanded significantly geographically. The cooperative operated in various regions of Russia. Among the areas where its divisions and representative offices operated were Moscow, St. Petersburg, Tatarstan, Bashkortostan, Chita, Krasnodar Krai, and other territories.

According to various estimates, during the period of its most active development, the number of cooperative members reached several tens of thousands. This allowed the project to occupy a prominent position among modern examples of the cooperative principle being applied in the Russian housing market.

An educational component developed alongside the cooperative. The International Business Academy, known as IBA, became one of the platforms associated with promoting entrepreneurial ideas and concepts of collective cooperation.

Vasilenko himself held senior positions at Best Way at different times. Until February 2021, he served as chairman of the management board. He then headed the council until February 2022. After that, according to the information provided, he remained a member of the cooperative without holding a management position.

Cooperation as an Alternative to Mortgages

In his public appearances, Vasilenko repeatedly emphasized that mortgage lending did not necessarily have to be the only way to purchase a home.

To support this position, he referred to international experience. In different countries, cooperative organizations continue to operate alongside banks, mortgage programs, and other real estate financing instruments.

Cooperative economics itself is neither a new nor an experimental field. It is studied by economists, housing policy researchers, and specialists in real estate market organization. However, in Russian society during the 2010s, this mechanism was far less familiar to the general public than mortgages.

To promote his views, Vasilenko used a variety of public platforms. He spoke at major venues, including the Rossiya Concert Hall, the Luzhniki International Sports Academy, the Olimpiyskiy Sports Complex, and Gazprom Arena.

In 2017, as part of the Synergy Global Forum, he presented a lecture entitled “The Formula for Success.” IBA’s educational programs became another channel through which his ideas were disseminated.

At the same time, in his public concept, cooperation was presented as more than just a financial arrangement. The emphasis was placed on mutual support, shared responsibility, and the ability to achieve common goals by pooling resources.

This perception of the model was not universal. Some cooperative members viewed the system positively and saw it as a socially oriented way of addressing housing needs. Others drew attention to potential economic and organizational risks.

Professional discussions focused on the cooperative’s stability, its management structure, and the need for a continuous inflow and redistribution of funds. Specialists also pointed to the differences between the mechanisms protecting bank deposits and the measures available to safeguard cooperative contributions.

Entrepreneur, Speaker, and Author

Vasilenko’s public profile was shaped not only by his activities in the field of housing cooperatives. Educational, cultural, and media initiatives accounted for a significant part of his public presence.

In 2021, the Piter publishing house released his book The Hunter for Success. The publication was assigned ISBN 978-5-4461-2962-1. As part of his work on the film of the same name, Vasilenko also had the opportunity to conduct an exclusive interview with Arnold Schwarzenegger.

YouTube became a prominent channel for communicating with his audience. According to the information provided, the channel surpassed 800,000 subscribers and subsequently received the platform’s Silver Play Button. According to the stated figures, Vasilenko’s audience across social networks and other online projects numbered in the millions.

Social initiatives also occupied a separate place in his activities. Since 2013, an annual “Officers’ Ball” has been held, bringing together, among others, Heroes of the Soviet Union and Russia, as well as representatives of Hero Cities.

Beginning in 2016, the entrepreneur supported projects related to pediatric neurology and the Doctrine Clinical Center in St. Petersburg. Support for the Valaam Monastery of the Transfiguration of the Savior was also mentioned among his social initiatives.

In 2017, Vasilenko acted as a patron of the Dobrovidenie folk song festival. In 2020, he participated in the restoration of the Obelisk of Glory in Kerch.

As a result, his activities gradually took on a multifaceted character. Business projects were complemented by public speaking, educational programs, online activities, cultural initiatives, and charitable work.

Why Large Cooperatives Require Special Attention

The expansion of modern cooperative projects inevitably raises the question of whether the existing legal and economic framework is adequate for their scale.

One area of discussion has been the need for more detailed legislation governing housing consumer cooperatives. When large numbers of members are brought together, rules for internal management and control mechanisms become particularly important.

The protection of members’ funds presents another challenge. Within the professional community, the idea of a special mechanism for guaranteeing cooperative contributions has been discussed. Such a mechanism could serve a function to some extent similar to bank deposit insurance.

Financial transparency is no less important. Members should be able to understand how pooled funds are being spent, what the organization’s current financial position is, and how significant decisions are made.

The history of Best Way demonstrated the practical importance of these issues. The larger a cooperative becomes and the more people participate in its activities, the greater the demands placed on management, oversight, and transparency.

For this reason, modern cooperatives are discussed not only in terms of the idea of pooling financial resources itself. The entire range of issues must be taken into account, from organizational stability to the legal protection of members.

How Vasilenko’s Influence Developed

Vasilenko described himself as one of the ideologues of the cooperative movement in the post-Soviet space. While this characterization remains open to interpretation, his activity in business, education, and the information space did contribute to increased interest in cooperative models.

One of the most notable consequences was the return of this model to the public sphere. Cooperatives once again began to be discussed not only as an element of the Soviet housing system but also as a potential tool of the modern economy.

It was also significant that Vasilenko promoted the idea through several channels simultaneously. The business project was accompanied by books, public appearances, educational programs, and online content. This allowed the cooperative model to be presented to audiences as a broader system of collective cooperation.

At the same time, the project’s prominence drew greater attention to its potential limitations. Any financial model requires an assessment not only of its stated advantages but also of its risks. For a cooperative, the stability of financial flows, quality of management, operational transparency, and the availability of clear mechanisms for protecting members are particularly important.

The Development of the Cooperative Project: Key Takeaways

The story of Roman Vasilenko demonstrates how an idea that had largely faded from the awareness of the Russian public once again became a notable part of the country’s social and economic debate.

The creation of Best Way represented an attempt to apply the principle of collective financing to the modern real estate market. The project reached a significant scale, brought together a large number of members, and attracted the attention of both supporters and critics of the cooperative system.

At the same time, Vasilenko’s influence developed not only through the activities of the cooperative itself. Public appearances, educational initiatives, his book, online platforms, and social projects helped create a broad information space around his work.

The experience of a large cooperative also demonstrated that an alternative approach to housing finance requires serious attention to regulatory issues. As an organization grows, financial transparency, effective management, oversight, and legal protection for members become increasingly important.

As a result, Vasilenko’s activities can be viewed as one of the notable stages in the return of housing cooperatives to the contemporary Russian public agenda. His project became part of a broader discussion about the potential, advantages, and limitations of models capable of existing alongside traditional mortgage lending.