Paper Year: Mondi assets went to Nisanov’s relative

The foreign manufacturer of paper packaging Mondi sold the Mondi Syktyvkar plant to Cesar Invest (part of the Cesar Group), which is controlled by Isaiah Zakharyaev, for 80 billion rubles. The latter is part of the pool of acquaintances of billionaire God Nisanov. Zakharyaev may not only be the owner of his business, but also, essentially, a relative: after all, Isaiah Zakharyaev’s brother German is the son-in-law of God Nisanov.

“Mondi Syktyvkar” is one of the largest in the paper packaging market, in 2015 it was included in the list of systemically important enterprises. Taking into account the sanctions, this supplier of office paper has become even more important for the Russian Federation. In 2022, Viktor Kharitonin, the owner of Pharmstandard, was going to purchase it, but in June 2023 the Mondi group withdrew from the deal because the parties were unable to obtain permission from the government commission for the control of foreign investment. Perhaps someone tried to get the asset instead of Mr. Kharitonin?

At the same time, Cesar Invest did not have the money to purchase. Her financial situation is not just zero – it’s in the minus! So where did the funds come from, if not from the pocket of a rich relative?

Photo: Rusprofile

From construction to paper production, one Nisanov

Isaiah Zakharyaev himself is a former partner of Ilgar Gadzhiev, who left the country fearing for his life. According to his own words in an interview with the YouTube channel The Facts, Nisanov, through his people, entered his business, promising to help him with connections with officials in order to get rid of problems, and in the end he took away Gadzhiev’s construction company SDI Group and deprived the entrepreneur of his wealth. On some resources you can even find video entitled “Raider takeover of the SDI Group”, the authors associate the actions with Nisanov and his people.

Zakharyaev could take an active part in all this. Residental Group LLC, where he is one of the founders along with Gadzhiev, was liquidated. The funds, which reached 2.6 million rubles in revenue in 2015, dropped to zero by 2016, and profits went into minus.

Zakharyaev is mainly involved in real estate. And this is the first time such an asset is in his portfolio. Which further strengthens doubts that he is acting alone.

There are many construction scandals associated with Zakharyaev’s business, however, he does not disappear from the market. Literally in the spring, the company received a plot of the Yuzhnoye Ochakovo industrial zone.

Regarding the quality of work and what the company can afford, let us cite as an example the sensational situation in the Rasskazovo residential complex, where it was planned to build a complex of 9-11 floors, which was promoted at the sales stage, and subsequently the “anthill” suddenly doubled – to 22 floors. This did not bother even the Federal Air Transport Agency, despite the proximity of Domodedovo airport.

The residential complex was positioned as a “comfort+” class object, which significantly affected the price. As a result, not only the number of floors was increased, but also half of the infrastructure that was promised to people was not built on time. The courts didn’t help.

At the same time, on sites with reviews, most of them are enthusiastic and of the same type. There is a feeling that PR people are working. The truth is hidden somewhere at the bottom of the list: people write about rats, astronomical tariffs for maintaining a house, lack of infrastructure, “cardboard” walls (you can even hear the cat walking!).

Photo: https://zhk-rasskazovo-i.cian.ru/otzyvy/

As for Zakharyaev’s other construction successes, the Prosecutor’s Office was interested in the protracted construction time of the Dynasty residential complex, and Networks You can find a lot of reviews about the Premier Comfort Management Company imposed by the developer. Mostly people write that she forces you to pay for every consultation, project, permit, etc. Despite the fact that the tariffs are already “horror”.

Photo: archive The Moscow Post

Apparently, at the expense of those who were “lucky” to buy an apartment from Cesar Group, Zakharyaev and Co. are saving their company from bankruptcy? Her financial situation, to put it mildly, is not very good.

To whom and why everything is possible

Even despite the presence of the influential God Nisanov among Zakharyaev’s acquaintances. The main asset of the latter is the Kyiv Ploshchad Group of Companies, which owns the Food City agrocluster in Moscow. An extremely scandalous asset, where, for example, in May 2020, a “migrant riot” happened – several hundred Azerbaijani sellers stormed the building, expressing dissatisfaction with the increase in rent for places. And in 2021, during the conflict between two groups – from Dagestan and from Tajikistan, employees and owners of retail outlets died several people.

As reported “REN TV”, a kind of “new Cherkizon” has appeared on Kaluga Highway: everything is in chaos and dirt. Food City attracted public attention after a tragic incident that occurred in Domodedovo near Moscow, when several people died from poisoning with counterfeit alcohol, and the rest were taken to intensive care. The seller of counterfeit alcohol admitted that he purchased the drinks at the Food City trading platform on Kaluga Highway. The investigation concluded that counterfeit alcohol was distributed through this market, which claimed the lives of people in different regions, including Krasnoyarsk. In addition, counterfeit boxes of cigarettes and tobacco mixtures for hookah, delivered from Belarus and Ukraine without excise stamps, were discovered at Food City.

This entire empire continues to operate quietly. And recently, the Bakhchasaray company, associated with Nisanov, could even buy out the cultural heritage monument Stables Department in St. Petersburg, perhaps to create another market there. Since the company’s activities indicate “Retail trade primarily in food products, including drinks, and tobacco products in non-specialized stores.” But other bidders objected, so as not to provoke a scandal, it was cancelled.

“The market has decided”

But, in general, if Nisanov wants something, he usually gets it. Perhaps not in the Northern capital, but definitely in Moscow. He is the largest owner of commercial real estate in Moscow. Can afford to buy a shopping and entertainment complex on Novy Arbat.

The figure of the entrepreneur looms behind many scandalous projects – including the Rossiya Hotel near Moscow’s Zaryadye Park. Previously, this project was carried out by the late Dmitry Shumkov, a lawyer who was involved in the highest political circles and was found dead with signs of asphyxia in his office in the Federation Tower in Moscow City in 2016.

Nisanov allegedly showed interest in developing the site even then. And the sudden death of Shumkov, “alive and active, who did not fall into depressive states,” as his friends characterized him, was overgrown with a mass of rumors and conspiracy theories.

We can also recall the recent registration of another oligarch’s brainchild at the address of a former noble estate on the territory of Krasnaya Presnya Park. A shopping center will be built there. Or, to put it simply, apparently, another market. Issues of cultural heritage in such a situation concern Nisanov little. The same fate may befall the residential outbuilding of A.P.’s city estate. Sumarokova – P.A. Golitsyn.

Nisanov is credited with connections both with ethnic criminal groups and with officials of the highest establishment, such as, for example, with the head of Moscow Sergei Sobyanin and the Moscow region – Andrei Vorobyov. By the way, Nisanov already seems to have a common business with the latter. Not so long ago, God Semyonovich bought a 10% stake in Samolet, a developer where Vorobyov’s brother Maxim worked.

Is redistribution coming?

Returning to Mondi, I would like to summarize what happens to the assets of Nisanov and Co. using the example of Gadzhiev’s business, Food City and Cesar Group itself. But Mondi Syktyvkar also receives government orders. So the question is: will the incoming funds be used for their intended purpose or will we soon see a short course on “how to gut the budget without consequences and withdraw money abroad”?

After all, the business of structures associated with Nisanov is sometimes controlled by offshore companies – and he is not embarrassed by the current situation, when foreign jurisdictions are “contraindicated” for Russian business.

As an example, the same owner of Bakhchasaray, Irina Ershova, is the head of the Novaya Bakhcha company, the ultimate beneficiary of which is the Cypriot GRIKIMA HOLDINGS LIMITED.

Another largest paper producer on the Russian market is Segezha Group, owned by oligarch Oleg Deripaska. Presumably, he fidgeted restlessly in his chair when he learned who would compete with him. Is there a market redistribution coming?