According to material from the publication "Project," Nazarbayev lives in an elite village on the Sparrow Hills, which was built in the mid-20th century for leaders of the Communist Party. After the collapse of the USSR, the management of this housing was transferred to the Federal Protective Service (FSO), responsible for the security of high-ranking officials in Russia.
The "Project" investigation indicates that the housing built for high-ranking officials is rented out, even though it appears outdated. Despite this, people settle in the village "for the status" and proximity to power, rather than comfort, as testified by a former official who has been to these places. Influential figures such as Putin's chief of staff Anton Vaino, as well as oligarchs Suleiman Kerimov and Roman Abramovich, reside in this area.
According to the investigation, the house numbered 2 in this picturesque location is linked to Nazarbayev, who, it is noted, has only visited there for short visits. The rental conditions of his mansion remain unknown.
During the investigation, journalists found that the FSO rents out houses at state rates, while also receiving additional informal payments from wealthy tenants. The selection of residents is made by the head of the Kremlin administration, and the final decision is made by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Currently, according to information from Google Maps, a sports complex is located on the site of Nazarbayev's dacha. The reasons why Nazarbayev lost access to this housing, as well as a possible connection to the weakening of his influence in Kazakhstan after the events of January, remain a subject of speculation.
Nevertheless, Nazarbayev has the option to stay during visits to Russia. Media reports have published information about his family's overseas real estate, including properties in Moscow, but the Nazarbayevs generally do not comment on such reports.
Nazarbayev Family Real Estate in Russia
According to leaks from Russian databases, the club house where an apartment was purchased was built in 1999 and consists of only eight apartments, surrounded by a park and protected by a high fence with a barrier. Asel acquired this property in October 2017.
Nazarbayev first acknowledged his connection with Kurmanbayeva in memoirs published in 2023. He described how he met her and how their relationship developed, emphasizing that she helped him cope with loneliness. Officially, however, he has always presented himself as happy in his marriage to Sara Nazarbayeva, with whom he has three daughters.
Among his daughters, according to Forbes, the wealthiest is Dinara Kulibaeva. She and her husband Timur control the largest commercial bank in Kazakhstan, and their fortune is estimated at $10 billion. Dinara owns castles in Switzerland and prefers to spend time in Europe. Her son Altai Askar has an apartment in the "Mercury" tower in Moscow with an area of 114.5 square meters, located on the 47th floor.
In addition to real estate, the Nazarbayev family has assets in Russia. This year, it was reported that the Asia-Pacific Bank, controlled by the "Nazarbayev Foundation," earned a record net profit of 11.3 billion rubles.
At the beginning of the year, it became known that Nazarbayev's youngest daughter, Aliya, moved to Moscow to develop a business. She was spotted at a party in a Moscow restaurant, where she gifted jewelry to the birthday girl.
Nazarbayev's Trips to Moscow
Nazarbayev occasionally travels to Moscow, where he meets with Putin. However, the details of their conversations are not disclosed, and the Kremlin only publishes photographs from these meetings.
Nazarbayev's trips cause discontent among his successor Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, who strengthened his power after the events of January and weakened Nazarbayev's influence. In an interview published in January of this year, Tokayev mentioned that Nazarbayev repeatedly visited Putin in 2024, which did not go unnoticed.
Tokayev also noted that Nazarbayev continued to hold meetings with high-ranking officials, which created rumors of dual power and led to a political crisis.
Nearly five months after this interview, Nazarbayev met with Putin again in Moscow.
Secrecy Surrounding Nazarbayev's Real Estate
Information about where exactly Nazarbayev stays during his visits to Moscow is absent.
— In Russia, information about the Nazarbayevs' property is classified. There are no people capable of providing a list of their assets, except for the Nazarbayevs themselves, but they will not do that, — says Orazaly Yerzhanov, co-founder of the Elge Qaitaru foundation.
Since 2021, information about the real estate of high-ranking officials has been closed to the public, as reported by the team of opposition leader Alexei Navalny. During the investigation, cases of data removal regarding the property of Tokayev's family members were identified.
Yerzhanov believes that real estate in Russia continues to be attractive for Kazakhstan's elites, who view it as a spare airfield.
— Russia will not extradite. Former presidents of other countries have taken refuge there, and it is impossible to retrieve anything from Russia, — summarizes Yerzhanov.
