Current Owners of Swafield Hall
Boris Konoshenko
Previously Editor in Chief and Managing Director of the highest readership daily newspaper in Moscow (Russia), Boris was born in St-Petersburg, where he completed two higher educations, the first – radio physics, the second – theatre director. During Perestroika, he entered the newly emerging independent media business. Since 2005, Boris worked for the world’s largest global newspaper group Metro International, where he initially ran Metro Saint Petersburg. In 2009, Boris launched Metro in Moscow, which he headed until 2014.
Per Mikael Jensen, then CEO of Metro International, wrote:
“Boris Konoshenko was the head of the Metro newspapers in Russia (Moscow and St. Petersburg), and was and is an absolutely amazing character. Firstly: dazzlingly good!! He raised the newspapers from a deficit for several years, to be among the most profitable. Talent, diligence, unique driving force and a strong look at other people’s possibilities were his key characteristics.
And then: completely unconventional in terms of how to develop a business. Extremely creative, rewarding, infectious. At our annual global managerial conferences, ALL people were always looking forward to what feature Boris would come up with.
The best sales events I’ve participated in have always been the Russian – sometimes an impressive musical that Boris and the employees themselves had created and performed. Other times, the wildest settings that only Boris could have come up with. And especially his amazing ability to make employees and customers feel a part of something bigger. When we sent HQ people to Moscow to help with something, it often happened that he cancelled their hotel rooms. ‘Sleep at my place, it’s much better’. Four men in his bedroom, Boris slept himself in the kitchen and woke up with a song on his lips, strong coffee and a contagious mood from the second he awoke.
I’ve had many unforgettable days and nights with him and his staff in Moscow and St.Petersburg.
As everyone has seen, the climate for media in Russia for the past 10-15 years has not been an easy environment to move around in. Boris managed it with enormous integrity and strength. A few years ago, he moved to England with his partner, put an old country house in perfect condition, traveling, living, enjoying. “
Boris enjoys theatre and classical music, handicrafts, restoration and decorating, he is an avid gardener and Harley enthusiast. In 2014 Boris quit his job in the media business in Russia, which was becoming more and more controlled by the government. He started looking for a restoration project in the UK. “When we visited Norfolk and saw Swafield Hall for the first time the house wasn’t in its best condition. We said “definitely not” but returned here once, returned again…and again. The hall had been on the property market for a long time and nobody had lived there for 3 years. The roof was leaking, walls were cracked, windows, doors and wooden constructions were rotten… It was crying out for TLC. But it was a beautiful, outstanding house with more than 4 centuries of history, great interiors and gardens with huge potential. Finally, we decided to buy Swafield Hall, renovate it and restore it to its previous glory. The renovation started in May 2015, and the work on Swafield Hall is now complete. We are happy to share our love and passion for this beautiful historic house with our guests”.
Tim Payne
Former Marketing Vice-President (Europe, Middle East & Africa) at Oracle, an American multinational computer technology corporation.