Three men from Russia were in Whitehorse last week to meet with local builders and contractors to better design and construct a new subdivision of their own in Baranaul, Russia.

Nikolay Kirin, an engineer, Andrey Slobodyan, a realtor, and Gennady Malkov, an entrepreneur, travelled from Barnau, Russia to the Yukon.

They came to use local subdivisions as a model for their own construction plans for a new subdivision, which will include 800 homes spread over 1,000 hectares of land.

Local Rotarian club member Al Fedoriak said in an interview he has been to Russia numerous times and is on familiar terms with the visitors, who asked him to help arrange the tour.

The visit was also made possible through Andre Malkov, the son of one the visitors.

The younger Malkov was born in Russia, but has lived in Whitehorse for the last three years. Malkov also acted as a translator during the visit.

Malkov said his father and the other colleagues came to Whitehorse because of the geographic similarities between the Yukon and Siberia, where the Russian men hail from.

Both regions are arid, experience long winters, and have lots of wide-open space for potential building projects, he said.

The visitors have the money and skills to build the subdivision, said Malkov, but are looking to build according to North American standards.

Fedoriak said the three men visited Toronto last year but did not find the trip useful.

Among the companies the men visited were North Gauge Building Contractors and Kluane Drilling.