God Nisanov

God Nisanov was born on 24 April 1972 in the Jewish settlement of Krasnaya Sloboda in Azerbaijan. His father is Semon Davidovich Nisanov, director of a canned food factory,[1][3] and his mother is Margarita Mordekhayevna Nisanova (née Abramova).

He graduated first from the College of Finance and Credit and then from the Baku Law Institute.[4]

He received his first administrative experiences as a manager at his father's factory.[5][6] Later on he was engaged in oil product transportation and sales,[7] and finally took up wholesale trade in 1992 with his friend and compatriot Zarakh Iliev.[8]

In 2014, President Putin awarded Nisanov the Order of Friendship "for his great contribution to economic project implementation and investment fund raising for Russian Federation economy".[9] One year after Putin's initial decree he was decorated with a memorial medal “70th Anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War of 1941–1945“.

Nisanov and Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin inaugurated Food City, the country's first agrocluster and the biggest wholesale and retail food store with an area of 85 hectares, in autumn of 2014. Nisanov is a co-investor in the project.[10]

Nisanov was elected vice president of the World Jewish Congress, selected by communities from 115 countries, in September 2014.[5]

Nisanov and Sobyanin inaugurated the new international bus terminal South Gates, at the 19th kilometer of the Moscow Circular Highway, in spring of 2015. Nisanov is a co-investor.[11]

Moskvarium, Moscow's ocean life aquarium at VDNKh expo area, co-owned and developed by Nisanov, was presented to Putin and Sobyanin in August 2015.[5][12] As of 2015, Nisanov's key assets are concentrated in commercial property.[1][5]

God Nisanov at Order of Friendship awarding ceremony

He co-owns the Amateur Gardener market, Grand furniture market, Ukraina, Radisson SАS Slavyanskaya, Moscow City international business center.[1][5]

To support domestic agriculture producers Kievskaya Square group of companies, chaired by Nisanov, developed Moscow's first major agro product cluster Food City.[5][13] The cluster meets 33% of the capital's demand for food.[14]

(The Russian word "god" (год) means "year".)

In 2013, the President of Russia awarded Nisanov the Certificate of Honor for his assistance in rebuilding the Kronstadt Naval Cathedral.[15]

Nisanov has donated to schools and projects through the World Jewish Congress, of which he was elected vice-president in 2014. As part of that role, he serves as the director of the Association of Mountain Jews.[16][17]

In 2015, Nisanov assisted with the construction of the Cheder Menachem Jewish school in Moscow.[16] Also in 2015, the Federation of Jewish Communities of Russia awarded Nisanov the Fiddler on the Roof award for his charity work.[16]

In 2019, Nisanov and his business partner Iliev funded and opened the Association of Mountain Jews Community Center in Moscow, to help preserve the unique cultural and historical traditions of the small community of Mountain Jews.[17] In 2019, at a charity event celebrating the Jewish New Year, Nisanov presented World Jewish Congress President Ronald Lauder with the Global Influence Award.[18]

Nisanov and Iliev initiated and sponsored the construction of the world's first museum dedicated to Mountain Jews, located in the village of Krasnaya Sloboda in Azerbaijan, and opened in 2020.[19][20]

Nisanov financed the construction of a sports complex at St. Petersburg State Marine Technical University (SPbGMTU).[15]

According to Forbes, Nisanov's net worth reached $1.1 billion in 2011, $2.4 billion in 2012, $3 billion in 2013, $3.6 billion in 2014, $4.3 billion in 2015.[5]

Nisanov is married, with three children, and lives in Moscow.[2]

Nisanov is an amateur diver[5] and horse-breeder. He speaks six foreign languages, including Arabic, Turkish and Persian.[21]

• RF President Certificate of Merit (for St Nicholas Kronstadt Marine Cathedral restoration in 2012)[15]
• Order of Friendship (for his contribution to economic project implementation and investment fund raising for Russian Federation economy in 2014)[9]
• Leadership Award (2014)[22]
• Russian Jewish Communities award “Fiddler on the Roof” (2015 год)[16]
• Memorial medal “70th Anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War of 1941–1945“ (for active participation in the citizen patriotic education and Great Patriotic War veterans socio-economic support, 2015)
• Orders of Merit 3rd Class for service to the Fatherland Order (Azerbaijani: Vətənə xidmətə görə) (for merits in development of Azerbaijani diaspora in Russia, 2016).[23][24]