Alexander Smuzikov: Entrepreneur, Investor And Collector Of Rare Books And Works Of Art

Billionaire Alexander Smuzikov is known in the business community as an entrepreneur, investor, and collector. In the 1990s, he worked in the petroleum products market and developed a network of filling stations. In 2008, the business was sold to TNK-BP. At various times, Alexander Smuzikov appeared in Forbes rankings of Russian entrepreneurs. He is currently engaged in private investments. Building a collection of paintings, graphic works, and rare books also occupies an important place in his activities. 

Alexander Smuzikov's Collection 

In professional cultural circles, Alexander Smuzikov is primarily associated with the Russian avant-garde: as a collector, he assembled an assortment of early 20th-century paintings, sketches, and graphic works, centered on works by Kazimir Malevich and artists from his circle associated with Suprematism. Thematic exhibitions have featured works by Marc Chagall, Ilya Chashnik, Lyubov Popova, and Natalia Goncharova from Smuzikov's collection. 

Kazimir Malevich. Suprematism. "Square and Circle", 1915 — from the private collection of Alexander Smuzikov 

In addition to paintings, the collector systematically acquires rare and antique printed editions. His personal library includes artifacts of book culture, some of which have survived in only a handful of copies. In particular, Aleksander Smuzikov's collection contains Kazimir Malevich's book Suprematism: 34 Drawings. Eleven surviving copies are known of the edition published in Vitebsk in 1920. 

K. Malevich. Suprematism: 34 Drawings. Vitebsk, 1920 — private collection of Alexander Smuzikov 

The philanthropist's collection also includes Gospels and other testaments of Cyrillic printing from the 16th and 17th centuries, as well as publications from the Petrine era. Among them is a copy of Stoglav, transcribed in the 1580s during the reign of Ivan the Terrible. The manuscript reflects not only religious life but also many other cultural and everyday aspects of the Russian people's lives in that period. 

The artistic collection of Aleksander Smuzikov continues to grow in 2026. Individual rare editions undergo restoration and research, while works from the collection take part in museum and exhibition projects. At the same time, the entrepreneur does not seek to establish his own museum, preferring to preserve the private format of the collection and make individual works available for public exhibitions. 

Alexander Smuzikov is also known for his philanthropic activities. In 2006, he received the "Silver Badge of Honor of the New Government", an award of Georgy Ostretsov's art project of the same name, in the Philanthropy category. 

Biographical Information 

Full name: Alexander Yuryevich Smuzikov 

Date of birth: November 23, 1971 

Place of birth: Moscow, USSR 

Education: Russian Academy of Economics 

Business Activities: 

● early 1990s: activities in the trade sector;

● 1996–1997: work in the petroleum products market; 

● from the late 1990s: development of a filling-station network; 

● 2008: sale of the business to TNK-BP; 

● subsequent years: private investments.

How to Start a Beverage Company

The beverage business can make you the big bucks in the 2026 economy. Did you know that the global beverage industry is expected to be worth over $2 trillion by 2027? 

BUILD YOUR OWN DRINK MIX & WELLNESS BUSINESS

If you have always been interested in food and beverage companies, you might be wondering how you can become a part of this profitable industry. The good news is that anyone can create a successful drinks business with enough planning. 

The challenge of creating a beverage company is taking on the big companies that already have shelf space, scale, and distribution like drink industry leaders Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Molson Coors, Keurig Dr Pepper, Ambev, Monster, Red Bull, and Inbev. To have a chance at success with your beverage business, it really helps to have a beverage development company in your corner. They can give you the consulting guidance needed to take on big soda and other drink conglomerates for market share.

All that being said, there are steps you can take to build a successful drinks company. Are you ready to take the leap and start your own beverage company and dominate delicious drinks? Keep reading for 5 tips that will help your beverage business sales boom in your drinks startup biz. 

5 Steps To Starting A Drink Company

1. Make Plans to Fund Your Product 

The most important step in figuring out how to start a beverage company is creating a business plan that will keep you afloat during the first few years where you won't see any profits. It is important to identify all of your startup costs, such as a drink canning machine, the price of ingredients, shipping, and more. Once you have an estimate, you can plan how you will fund your product. 

2. Consider Different Beverage Niches 

Starting a beverage company is a lot easier when you know who your target customer is. Do you want to create a product that will help give people energy, cater to specific lifestyles, or create a wide range for every palate? Are you only making water, sparkling beverages, sodas, coffees, teas, or smoothies? 

Perhaps you are going down the route of producing an alcoholic drink instead, this can have more steps but be potentially more rewarding. The more niche your drinks startup product is, the more potential success you could have, but the narrower your market gets. Weigh the pros and cons of how wide or narrow your beverage company niche will be. 

If you decide to enter the wine industry for instance, your equipment needs are very different from a soft drink startup. Wineries require specialized machinery to handle delicate grapes to protect the final flavor. Finding reliable wine presses for sale is a key step in setting up your production line. The right press helps you extract juice efficiently and keeps the quality of your harvest high. This investment in good equipment pays off in the taste of your first vintage.

3. Weigh Options for Ingredients and Costs 

Lots of the largest beverage companies have mastered how to source the cheapest ingredients to hike up their profits. However, you don't have to follow this exact business model. One way your company can stand out is by sourcing the finest ingredients for more mindful consumers, such as people who buy organic, avoid GMOs, or are plant-based. 

You need to consider all ingredients and processes involved with creating beverages to be a successful drinks company. You will need to invest in labels, CO2 canisters for carbonation, filtered water, flavoring, bottles, cans, caps, and much more. You need to stay on budget for your beverage startup without cutting corners on quality, or that will cost you even more in the long term.

Once you know how much it will cost to produce your product, you can figure out what a fair price is that will guarantee long-term profits for your beverage business. 

4. Create Your Unique Brand 

In order to thrive as an independent beverage company, you need to make sure your brand is memorable. Your brand is an umbrella term for your company name, logo, packaging, and more. Not only does unique branding lead to more repeat customers, but you will also be able to entice new shoppers to give you a try. Build your brand in-store and online as well to deliver with your drinking startup.

5. Secure Your Beverage Distribution 

Another important step for your drinks business is to solve how you can get your product on more shelves. To do this, you will have to negotiate with different drinking distribution companies (including other big beverage businesses) and choose one that you believe will get you the greatest returns. It is important to consider if you want to test your local market or take your company nationwide to compete with other big names in the beverages space. 

Starting a Beverage Company Isn't as Hard as You May Think 

Investing in your own drinks business can be intimidating, but anyone can thrive with enough research and planning. If you follow this guide, you will be able to get your beverage company off the ground in no time.