Mold Devours Walls: Life in Kemerovo's Unfinished 'English Courtyard'
While Upper Boulevard was being built, the quarter simply stood in plain sight.
Low-rise houses without noisy neighbors, a well-kept square, and a clean pond — that«s how residents of Kemerovo imagined life in the new residential complex. However, the dream shattered against reality: for millions of rubles (hundreds of thousands of dollars at current rates), they got not comfort-plus apartments, but damp walls with mold, a leaking roof, and dozens of other problems. Why new residents had to go to court and how their homes are surviving the winter — in the material from NGS42.RU.
From Economy to European Standard
The history of the residential quarter on Verkhny Boulevard Stroitely began in the early 2000s. Back then, next to Metalploshchadka, a local developer planned to build a complex of townhouses and two-story economy-class houses. The project was named «Snegiri» — it became so ingrained that many townspeople still call the area that.
However, after several years of active work, a crisis hit, the company went bankrupt, and on an area of 10 hectares, an abandoned unfinished building appeared.
For the next 12 years, up until 2021, the brick skeletons rotted in plain sight of Kemerovo residents. The situation changed when machinery from the company IVKO LLC (Investitsionno-Vnedrencheskaya Kompaniya) arrived on the territory. The new developer claimed to have received an expert opinion: despite walls covered with mold, the structures were still suitable for restoration and further use.
Soon, under the new name — «English Courtyard», a residential complex with comfort-plus apartments opened in Kemerovo at the price of a good three-room apartment in the city center.
«Better to Live in a Khrushchyovka»
In 2023, Evelina bought a home in the first phase of «English Courtyard» — those very former abandoned buildings. The towns woman knew about the complex«s past, but believed the developer»s words and the beautiful picture of a European corner near the city. Plus, she liked the idea of a closed quarter with free apartment layouts, quiet courtyards, spacious parking, and a square.
Soon after renovation, Evelina and her family moved into the new home and were delighted — until the winter of 2024. In February, water poured into the apartment from an uncleared roof — the walk-in closet with all documents and clothes was flooded.
According to the Kemerovo resident, approaching the residential complex buildings closely is dangerous.
It was then that the first consequences of the hasty reconstruction of the unfinished building came to light — the roof, according to the Kemerovo resident, was initially installed incorrectly. Due to defects, snow accumulates on the roof all season, and during thaws, water, bypassing the gutters, flows directly onto the heads of residents.
The developer, Evelina says, admitted guilt, paid compensation, but a year later, it started pouring from the ceiling again.
— I again filed a complaint and sent it to IVKO and the management company, but they passed the buck from both sides. They accuse each other, no one wants to take responsibility. We are now having to file a lawsuit in court, — the woman explains.
But the series of unpleasant surprises didn«t end there. Due to condensation accumulating on the windows, mold crept along the slopes. The family fought it as best they could: wiped, dried, treated with chemicals, but the problem, according to the Kemerovo resident, lies in construction miscalculations.
On top of that, the developer, the woman complains, never repaired the entrances as promised at purchase, and the wide parking lot for the first building can be buried in snow for several weeks.
— In my house, there are only four apartments — that«s good, of course. But you know, it»s better to live in a five-story Khrushchyovka (Soviet-era apartment building) without an elevator than in a place where you have ice on the windows in winter, — notes the towns woman.
«We Are Tired of Arguing»
Similar vulnerabilities in the elite residential complex — «weeping» windows, mold, and cold — were found by resident Larisa. But in her case, the developer, according to the towns woman, initially tried to fix the situation.
In the summer of 2024, after numerous complaints, specialists removed the facade panels on her floor, treated them with antifungal composition, replaced the insulation on the walls and roof, and additionally foamed the window openings. But the next winter, the mold returned with renewed vigor and covered not only the slopes but also the walls.
— It was all in vain. In 2025, they came again and stated that the corner is damp because we allegedly don«t ventilate the apartment. That is, all the moisture supposedly gathers exclusively in one place. We are tired of arguing, decided to sell the apartment and move to a private house, — recalls Larisa.
An independent examination, ordered by the family before selling, confirmed the worst fears. Fixing the defects that came with their comfort-class housing will cost the owners a considerable sum. Selling the apartment at a reduced price didn«t work out either: all potential buyers, seeing the blackened corners, immediately refused the deal.
Moreover, Larisa admits: if it weren«t for the mold, which they have to breathe every day, and family circumstances, she wouldn»t move anywhere; in other respects, the residential complex suits her quite well.
— I really like it here. The contingent is as good as it gets. I«ve lived all my life in houses where, sorry for the expression, you look out the window, and in the entrance canopy, they»re looking for drug stashes. And here there are families, a bus stop within two minutes« walk, transport runs without interruption, supermarkets and pharmacies nearby, parking is huge, — notes the towns woman.
«Instead of a Pond — a Puddle»
Dmitry and his wife have been forced to sue for over two years due to a two-level apartment bought in 2023 in the «European corner of Kemerovo». The family never lived a day in the new house, because instead of comfort-class, they got, according to them, slanted and crooked walls, drafty windows, a broken and unkempt yard.
The first lawsuit against the company — the «savior of abandoned buildings» — the couple won and received money for repairs. But only later, according to Dmitry, he learned that the defects are irreparable, «only demolish and rebuild from scratch.»
— The apartment is very cold. There«s nothing to say about the promised landscaping either. Instead of a pond — a puddle, the lawn isn»t mowed, everything is dug up, the situation around the residential complex is no better. You drive towards the boulevard — a creepy field, — describes Dmitry.
Now the family is trying through court to get IVKO to either return their money or replace the «warped housing» with a normal apartment.
«Our Neighbors — Rodents»
Residents of the quarter shared their pain from what«s happening in the residential complex on social media. In some of the houses, according to users, they coexist with rodents, worsening the decay in already broken entrances and storage rooms.
Besides this, apartment owners complained about bursting double-glazed windows, non-working sewage and heating systems.
The developer did not respond to complaints on social media. Calls from our editorial office to the company were not answered. At the number shared with us by residents, one of IVKO«s employees answered; after hearing the question, they promised to call back with an answer from the director. This did not happen.
According to the service «Kontur.Fokus», IVKO LLC Specialized Developer was registered in 2013 in Moscow Oblast, but recently management decided to change the legal address — to Novosibirsk. The sole founder, as well as general director, is Maxim Grachev. The businessman, besides this, owns several other companies, including the investment and financial firm «Mera».
According to «Kontur.Fokus», lawsuits have been filed against the developer several times by both individuals and local management companies, which refused to work with IVKO.
How Other Residential Complexes in the Regional Capital Live:
«The house isn»t bad, but fitting in furniture — that«s quite a puzzle.» How life is in the legendary Kemerovo «Parus» 20 years later
«Broken windows, peeling dormitories, and eternal disputes»: how the most student quarter of Kemerovo lives
Still a mess, but overall stylish: how people live in one of Kemerovo«s youngest microdistricts
Three fountains and underground parking. How people live in a Kemerovo residential complex near «Promenade-3», where apartments cost 20 million rubles (approximately $220,000 at current rates)
