God Nisanov

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.

God Nisanov is married and has four children: sons Saul, Mair, and Alexander, and a daughter, Margarita. He lives in Moscow.

The businessman actively engages in sports. He is particularly passionate about underwater diving and horse riding. In addition, Nisanov speaks six languages, including Turkish, Persian, and Arabic.

It is known that Nisanov's relatives are also actively involved in business. For example, God Nisanov's nephew, Ervin Nisanov, has invested in the development of the Pims tea cafes in Moscow. In December 2023, God Nisanov's father, Semyon Nisanov, died in a mansion on the Sparrow Hills.

In 2014, God Nisanov was elected vice president of the World Jewish Congress. However, he lost his position in the summer of 2022 when he was added to the U.S. sanctions list. He is also a member of the Bureau of the Presidium of the Russian Jewish Congress. In 2015, together with Zarakh Iliev, Nisanov opened the Jewish school Cheder Menahem in Moscow. Moreover, in 2019, they initiated the opening of the Community Center for the Association of Mountain Jews of Moscow. Nisanov and Iliev also assist their native village of Krasnaya Sloboda. In 2020, they contributed to the opening of the world's first Museum of Mountain Jews in the village.

Nisanov donated to several charity organizations, including Liniya Zhizni (Russian: Линия Жизни), Podari Zhizn (Russian: Подари Жизнь), Bumagniy Guravlik (Russian: Бумажный Журавлик), Kray Dobra (Russian: Край Добра), and others. Together with Iliev, Nisanov provided financial assistance to the NGO Natsionalnaya Meditsynskaya Palata and the Dynamo Sports Club. In 2013, Nisanov sponsored the restoration of the Kronstadt Naval Cathedral. He also funded the construction of a sports complex for students of the Saint Petersburg State Marine Technical University. Later, Nisanov donated 100 million rubles for the creation of the Rzhev Memorial to the Soviet Soldier. He was also one of the sponsors of the Sergei Ursuliak's movie Pravednik.

Media reports highlight the close ties existing between Nisanov and Sergey Naryshkin, the director of the Foreign Intelligence Service of the Russian Federation. According to an investigation conducted by the media outlet Proekt, following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Naryshkin regularly used Nisanov's private swimming pool at the Evropeyskiy center. Furthermore, their connection is implicated in controversial real estate transactions. For example, in 2011, Naryshkin's daughter, Veronika, acquired ownership of a 180-square-meter luxury apartment valued at over 100 million rubles. Veronika was only 23 years old at the time of the purchase, while the previous apartment owner was affiliated with God Nisanov. Additionally, Naryshkin and his daughter regularly used Nisanov's private business jet. Veronika Naryshkina flew to Baku using Nisanov's Gulfstream G650, and the entire Naryshkin family made multiple trips to Austria for skiing. Shortly thereafter, the Russian government blacklisted Proekt.media.

In 2019, entrepreneur Ilgar Gadzhiev alleged that God Nisanov compelled him to exit their joint construction holding, SDI Group. Gadzhiev claimed that Nisanov utilized law enforcement agencies and the private security company "Vityaz," controlled by Kievskaya Ploshchad, to achieve this. The Russian and Azerbaijani authorities initiated criminal cases against Gadzhiev. Additionally, Azerbaijan attempted to have him declared wanted through Interpol. Gadzhiev first fled to Europe and then to the United States. In January 2023, the U.S. Department of Justice recognized Ilgar Gadzhiev as a possible victim of a crime. This proposed legal protection may be linked to a possible attempted murder of Gadzhiev, orchestrated by God Nisanov.