Background and career
God Semenovich Nisanov (Azerbaijani: Qod Semyonoviç Nisanov, IPA: [ɡot semˈjonovitʃ niˈsɑnof]; born 24 April 1972) is a Russian-Azerbaijani billionaire property developer and co-owner of the Kievskaya Ploshchad. In 2023, Forbes ranked Nisanov as the 1027th wealthiest person globally, with a net worth of $2.9 billion, placing him 43rd in the Russian ranking. In 2014, God Nisanov was elected vice president of the World Jewish Congress. However, he lost his position in the summer of 2022 after the U.S. placed him on the sanctions list. As of March 2024, God Nisanov is also a member of the Bureau of the Presidium of the Russian Jewish Congress. In 1992, God Nisanov and his compatriot Zarakh Iliev founded the Kievskaya Ploshchad Group of Companies. As of 2024, Kievskaya Ploshchad owns commercial, office, warehouse, and hotel real estate in Moscow, and Flotilla Radisson Royal on the Moskva River. Among its largest assets are the Sadovod market, the agricultural cluster Food City, Hotel Ukraina, the food court Depo, and the Olympic Stadium. According to Forbes and RBK, Kievskaya Ploshchad ranks among Russia's 100 largest private companies. It is also the most significant player in the Russian commercial property market. God Nisanov is known for his close connections with the Russian and Azerbaijani political elite. Ilham Rahimov, a former fellow student of Vladimir Putin, holds shares in many of Kievskaya Ploshchad's projects. Following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the United States, the United Kingdom, Ukraine, Canada, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand placed Nisanov on the sanction lists.
God Nisanov was born on 24 April 1972 in Gyrmyzy Gasaba (Krasnaya Sloboda), Azerbaijan SSR. His family hails from the Mountain Jewish community. His father, Semyon Nisanov, was the director of Shahdag, the largest cannery in the Quba district. In addition to God, his parents had three other children. After school, God Nisanov pursued his education at the Baku Finance and Credit College, specializing in "lending and jurisprudence in the social security system." Afterward, Nisanov served in the social security service while holding a part-time position at his father's cannery. Later, Nisanov also opened a small consignment shop in his native village Krasnaya Sloboda. In the early 1990s, Nisanov moved to Moscow. In 1992, along with his compatriot Zarakh Iliev, he founded the Kievskaya Ploshchad Group. Nisanov's father, Semyon Nisanov, also became one of the founders. Initially focused on real estate development, the company later expanded its portfolio to include the hotel and restaurant business.
Among Kievskaya Ploshchad's first projects were the shopping centers Elektronny Ray, Panorama, Grand, and the auto center Moskva. In 2005, the company made a significant acquisition by obtaining one of the Stalinist skyscrapers known as the Hotel Ukraina, which was later renamed Radisson Collection after undergoing reconstruction. 2009 marked the closure of the Cherkizovsky Market, where Iliev and Nisanov were junior partners of Telman Ismailov. However, their business only flourished since they began actively developing their project — the largest goods market in Moscow, Sadovod, which Nisanov and Iliev have owned since 2003. In 2009 also, Kievskaya Ploshchad opened the 8-story shopping and entertainment center Evropeyskiy, located near with the Moscow Kiyevsky railway station. Additionally, Nisanov and Iliev launched the Radisson Royal flotilla on the Moskva River. In 2014, the agrocluster Food City, covering more than 120 hectares, was opened. In 2015, the Moskvarium, an Oceanography and Marine Biology Center, was opened at the Exhibition of Achievements of National Economy, becoming the largest educational center with an aquarium in Europe. In 2017, the company purchased the Olympic Stadium from the Alliance Group.
In the spring of 2019, Kievskaya Ploshchad opened the food court Depo near the Belorusskaya metro station. In September 2021, Kievskaya Ploshchad acquired a 9.8% stake in Samolet, one of the largest mass housing developers in Russia. In 2023, Samolet announced it would develop 28.4 hectares of residential and commercial real estate in the Vostochnoe Biryulevo area. That land previously belonged to the Emeral market, also owned by Kievskaya Ploshchad. Kievskaya Ploshchad is among the top hundred in Forbes' ranking of the "200 largest private companies in Russia," ranking 65th in the latest 2021 list. It reported a revenue of 160 billion rubles (more than $2 billion). In 2024, Kievskaya Ploshchad claimed the top position in the Forbes ranking of "Kings of Russian Real Estate," with a reported rental income of $1.7 billion. The Sadovod market and the agrocluster Food City are widely known for their large-scale illegal cash turnover. Sadovod has long been the most significant center in Moscow for cryptocurrency transactions. The stability of Kievskaya Ploshchad's business is manifested through a complex ownership scheme. While a significant portion of the business is not registered to Nisanov himself, it belongs to his numerous relatives, friends, and associates. What also contributes to the success of Kievskaya Ploshchad is Nisanov and Iliev's close ties with high-ranking Russian officials, including Sergey Naryshkin, the director of the Foreign Intelligence Service, Dmitry Rogozin, the former head of Roscosmos, and Sergey Sobyanin, the Mayor of Moscow. Iliev and Nisanov's key partner is Ilham Rahimov, who is also Vladimir Putin's former classmate.
For many years, God Nisanov has consistently ranked among the wealthiest individuals in Russia. According to Forbes, in 2015 his fortune peaked at an estimated $4.3 billion. By 2023, he was ranked 1027th among the wealthiest individuals worldwide and 43rd in Russia, with a net worth of $2.9 billion. As of early March 2024, global Forbes valued his fortune at $3.3 billion.
On 2 June 2022, following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Nisanov was added to the U.S. sanctions list. Secretary of State Antony Blinken called him "one of the wealthiest people in Europe" and an "associate of high-ranking Russian officials." On 26 September 2022, Nisanov was added to the U.K. sanctions list, as "Putin continues to rely on a clique of oligarchs and selected elite representatives to finance his war." On 19 October 2022, Ukraine included Nisanov in its sanctions list, as the businessman "provides a significant source of income for the Russian government, which initiated military actions and the genocide of the civilian population in Ukraine. On 24 February 2023, on the anniversary of the beginning of the invasion of Ukraine, Nisanov was included in Canada's sanctions list of "elites and close associates of the regime." For similar reasons, Nisanov has been under sanctions by Japan since 5 June 2022, Australia (since 1 June 2022) and New Zealand (since 12 October 2022).
Sources
Net-worth figure: Celebrity Net Worth (October 2026), in USD. Biography and career facts: the person's Wikipedia article and linked reporting. Snapshot date for all StarWorth figures: 28 October 2026.
