The Kievskaya Ploshchad Group of Companies, founded by God Nisanov in 1992, currently ranks as a primary force in the Russian commercial real estate market. With a net worth estimated at $3.3 billion as of early 2024, Nisanov manages a portfolio encompassing hotels, agricultural hubs, and large-scale markets, navigating a business environment defined by shifting economic and political conditions.
Background and Education
Born in 1972 in Gyrmyzy Gasaba, Azerbaijan, Nisanov belongs to the Mountain Jewish community. His father, Semyon Nisanov, directed a cannery in the Quba district. Following his secondary education, Nisanov attended the Azerbaijan College of Finance and Economics, where he studied lending and jurisprudence. His early professional life included a tenure in the social security service combined with work at his father’s cannery and the operation of a small consignment shop in his home village.
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Nisanov moved to Moscow in the early 1990s. In 1992, he co-founded the Kievskaya Ploshchad Group with Zarakh Iliev. The firm initially focused on property development, later moving into the hospitality and restaurant sectors. Early assets included shopping centers such as Elektronny Ray, Panorama, and Grand. In 2005, the company acquired the Hotel Ukraina, subsequently rebranded as the Radisson Collection. The firm later launched the Radisson Royal flotilla on the Moskva River and opened the Evropeyskiy shopping complex in 2009.
Scale and Portfolio
The company’s portfolio grew to include significant infrastructure, such as the Sadovod market, which has been under their ownership since 2003, and the Food City agricultural cluster, which opened in 2014. Other notable holdings include the Moskvarium, established in 2015, the Olympic Stadium, acquired in 2017, and the food court Depo. In 2021, the firm secured a stake in the developer Samolet. By 2024, Kievskaya Ploshchad was recognized as a leader in Russian rental income.
International Sanctions
Following the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Nisanov became subject to international restrictive measures. Between June and October 2022, he was placed on sanctions lists by the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand. Canada followed in February 2023, while Ukraine sanctioned him in October 2022. These actions were taken due to his reported status as an associate of the Russian political elite.
Fast facts
- Born: 1972, Gyrmyzy Gasaba
- Primary Business: Kievskaya Ploshchad
- Citizenship: Russia, Dominican Republic
- Education: Azerbaijan College of Finance and Economics
- Awards: Taraggi Medal, Order of Friendship, Jubilee Medal 70 Years of Victory
- Net Worth: $3.3 billion as of March 2024
Questions readers ask
What is the primary business of Kievskaya Ploshchad?
The company owns and operates a large portfolio of commercial, hotel, and office real estate, including markets and agricultural centers in Moscow.
Why was God Nisanov sanctioned?
Various nations sanctioned him in 2022 and 2023 for his professional associations with the Russian government and elite following the invasion of Ukraine.
Achievements
- Order of Friendship
- Taraggi Medal
- Jubilee Medal "70 Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945"
- Educated at Azerbaijan College of Finance and Economics
