By Vasilis Goulas
The beautiful private island of Scorpios has a new “governor” – Andrei Konogorov.
Proto Thema met with the man that Russian billionaire Dmitry Rybolovlev trusted enough to hand over the keys to the isle. Konogorov spoke about Scorpios and the plans that Rybolovlev and his beautiful daughter Katia have for the island.
So Mr. Konogorov, tell us what Mr. Rybolovlev and Katia’s dreams are for Scorpios ?
The first idea that Mr. Rybolovlev told everybody is that we have to keep and protect the history of the island. Everybody knows the legend of Aristotelis Onassis. So Dmitry and Katia want to keep the history of this man (alive) and also the history of this island. After the renovation of Pink House and every other house of the island we thought that we should take a step towards keeping the legend of Onassis alive. For example, we read books about Scorpios and started to rebuilt the Pink house and the other buildings. So the dream for Dmitry and Katia is to keep alive the Onassis’ history. That’s why we have a room inside the Pink House which we call the museum, and there are things that Onassis used.
Are there any plans on how Scorpios will be after the renovation ?
We created our garden and we have tomatoes, onions, watermelons, potatoes and other crops. Dmitry loves wine so we are going to create our vineyard. Katia loves horses so we are going to built stables. We have bought electrical cars for employees and guests.
We have an old farm – charming but empty. A Greek company will help us to build our farm. We will have sheep, goats, cows and chickens. And in the future we want to produce cheese and yogurt. Katia and Dmitry love Greek yogurt.
We have also thought of creating small panels to collect solar energy. We are replacing electric cables and water pipes. And I must say that the entire island has wifi. And, of course, we included fire protection because it is very important for us.
What are the favorite things that Mr. Rybolovlev and Katia like to do when they are on the island? Which is the part of the island that they like most?
They like to walk each morning. Every day they walk, sometimes two times a day and then they play football. They also like to swim and jet ski. Katia loves swimming and sometimes she plays football with her father. They like tennis and fishing.
We know that Mr. Rybolovlev loves windsurfing. Is there any possibility to make an artificial sea track for his favorite sport?
We are thinking of different options but it is to early to say something precise. For the moment they use the sea for sea sports.
How many people are working on the island at this point in time and how much money the renovation of the island cost thus far?
Thirty people work on the island permanently. I would prefer not to talk about the sums. I can tell you that the budget increases with each month. I also want to tell you that the supplies are from local super markets and (we use) local trade. For example in the past we took diesel from a man in Patras, but we have decided to buy from a local. The family supports the local community with supplies and with the many people who are working on the island.
Which celebrities have been invited to Scorpios this summer?
I can tell you that this season we will have famous people but we have to protect their privacy. This is very important for them and so – for us. Last year after the party, many famous people said: “Thanks for not having any paparazzi!”
Background
The island of Skorpios was bought by Onassis in 1962 for around 3.5 mln drachmas. Six years later it hosted Aristotle Onassis’ wedding to Jacqueline Kennedy, the widow of John F. Kennedy. After his death, the island passed to his daughter Christina, who died at the age of 37 in 1988. Her daughter and Aristotle Onassis’ grand-daughter, Athena Onassis-Roussel, sold Skorpios to fellow equestrian Ekaterina Rybolovleva in 2013. Since the very beginning there have been plans to restore the island to its former glory.
