Conflict at Almaty’s Green Bazaar: Claims of Extortion and Threats Made

One of Almaty’s oldest markets, the Green Bazaar, has once again become the center of scandal. Traders claim they are being forced to pay millions to extend their leases, threatened with violence, and pushed out of their stalls.

The dispute reportedly involves the daughter of oligarch Yakov Tskhai, while entrepreneurs are publicly calling on market co-owner Timur Kulibayev to intervene and restore order, Orda.kz reports.

"Pay Or Leave"

Raushan Orynbay, a vendor with 30 years of experience, recorded a video appeal to the owners of the Green Bazaar. She says that in September 2022, a group led by Yulia Tskhai, daughter of businessman Yakov Tskhai, appeared at the market.

Alongside Yelena Pak, Saniya Danikerova, and Yuri Khan, they allegedly carried out strict inspections and demanded traders re-register their stalls in their name.

I have been a vendor at the Green Bazaar for 30 years through my sole proprietorship, Orynbay. Recently, I have repeatedly sent letters to Mercury Properties, since 40–50 vendors reach out to me every day. But I have not received a response to this day. For many years, the bazaar ran like clockwork, but in September 2022, Yulia Yakovlevna Tskhai, who introduced herself as the owner of the Green Bazaar, carried out strict inspections. They demanded that the stalls be re-registered in their names. They pushed for the rent to be doubled. And they openly threatened: ‘If you don’t pay, we won’t renew the contract,’ Orynbay said.

She added that money is collected in cash through a “black box,” with the scale of extortion enormous, given that there are around 3,000 stalls at the market.

According to her, those who refuse to pay face not only fines but also physical threats.

After large sums are collected, the market administration is replaced to cover the tracks. We haven’t seen a single criminal case opened during the official investigation of these facts. Just the other day, while exposing all this lawlessness, the market’s lawyer,  Nurlan Nyshanbayevich Kadyrbayev, started threatening with a fine of 390,000 tenge. When that didn’t work, some Yura and Dmitry began harassing me for an entire month, trying in every possible way to discredit me in front of others. It even came to physical assault. They never presented any documents. They speak very rudely, act like racketeers from the ’90s, intimidating people. Arrogance, threats, humiliation, illegal extortion, and the selling of trading places are destroying the market’s reputation, the woman continued.

Demands have been made for a full audit of the market’s administration, transparent rental rules excluding cash extortion, and the removal of Yulia Tskhai’s team, whose actions, they argue, are ruining the bazaar. Otherwise, they warn, they will appeal directly to the president.

Who Controls The Bazaar?

Officially, the market is managed by Dostar-Kommerts LLP. Its founders are Mercury Properties — linked to Dinara and Timur Kulibayev — and Dostar-Invest LLP, owned by Yakov Tskhai.

The dispute centers around Yulia Tskhai, Yakov Tskhai’s daughter. Her father and Kulibayev are also partners in other projects, including Almaty’s Forum shopping center.

This is not the first conflict at the Green Bazaar. In 2022, traders accused the administration of forcing the demolition of long-standing boutiques, leaving entrepreneurs with decades of history without work.

The situation at the Green Bazaar is only part of a bigger picture. For decades, many of Almaty’s largest markets have been under the control of the Nazarbayev family and their inner circle in one way or another.

The Kenzhekhan market was run for many years by the former president’s sister, Anipa Nazarbayeva. It is now owned by Mitra Consulting LLC, which is linked to her circle.

The Nikolsky market belonged to Bolat Nazarbayev, and later passed to criminal figure Yeldos Kospayev before being recently confiscated by the AFM. Altyn Orda was created by the Alpiyevs, but later ended up with Bolat Nazarbayev through KURYLYS LTD. Today, that market is being carved up by new owners, though the struggle over it continues.

Orda.kz intends to contact Mercury Properties and the Almaty Department of Economic Investigations for clarification on the situation.

Original Author: Zarina Fayzulina