Videos showing the son of Russian senator and former Kabarda–Balkaria Head Arsen Kanokov’s son gifting his girlfriend a luxury car and a large bouquet for her birthday has stirred controversy in the republic.
In one of the videos, a large group of men is seen delivering an oversized floral arrangement to Arsen Kanokov’s girlfriend, with him walking up to her to kiss and hug her. Attendants can be heard shouting ‘Happy birthday!’ in the background. Another clip shows him handing over keys to a luxury car, followed by more celebratory cheers.
Within hours, Senator Kanokov issued a statement on Instagram — which is blocked in Russia — suggesting that the posts and criticism of his son were orchestrated by ‘enemies of our country’ aiming to ’use any excuse to defame, discredit the authorities, and sow discord in society’. He claimed the incident was a familiar tactic used by Ukraine’s Centre for Information Countermeasures, tasked with promoting Russophobia, undermining the Russian army, and destabilising internal affairs.
Kanokov emphasised that his son was raised in accordance with Adyghe Habze —the traditional Circassian code of honour — and Islam. He stressed that Albert Kanokov is ‘modest and restrained, fluent in his native language, has performed Umrah several times, prays, abstains from alcohol, and does not smoke’.
The senator added, ‘We spoke to him about it; he understood and pledged to the elders of the Kanokov clan that it will not happen again’.
This episode adds to a series of scandals surrounding the Kanokov family. Arsen Kanokov served as president of Kabarda–Balkaria from 2005 to 2013 before becoming a senator.
In 2012, his cousins, Vladimir and Ruslan Zhamborovy, were arrested on suspicion of fraud in a case related to the sale of a dilapidated philharmonic hall. That property — valued at around ₽20–33 million ($250,000–$410,000) — was sold for just ₽1 million ($14,000) to fashion designer Madina Khatsukova, another relative of theirs. The criminal case against Vladimir Zhamborovy was dropped after his death, while Ruslan Zhamborovy received a suspended sentence of four and a half years.
In 2013, Albert Nazranov — a businessman of Ossetian origin described by the media as Kanokov’s ‘right-hand man’ — was killed in Moscow. Nazranov was suspected of being involved in protests in Kabarda–Balkaria and maintaining connections with both the local elite and criminal underworld.
Before entering politics, Kanokov founded and owned the Syndika conglomerate — one of Russia’s largest construction and retail groups, with assets including shopping centres, hotels, property in Sochi, and construction firms. Although he formally stepped back from managing the company, Kanokov retained influence through family members and trusted associates.
In 2017, Syndika’s construction market assets were destroyed in a fire later confirmed to be caused by arson. Despite the setback, its business recovered and it continued operations.
In his statement regarding his son, Kanokov mentioned that his son had joined the board of directors of the family-owned Syndika holding. Albert Kanokov is set to oversee major projects in Kabarda–Balkaria and head a charitable foundation aimed at supporting the republic. He had only graduated from university in 2024.
In October 2022, the US Department of State added Kanokov to its sanctions list. In 2024, Russian independent media outlet The Project revealed that Kanokov was the beneficiary of franchises for McDonald’s, Starbucks, and OBI. That same year, Forbes ranked him among the world’s wealthiest individuals in its 2025 edition, estimating the 68-year-old senator’s net worth at $1.4 billion, up from $1.2 billion in 2024.
Elizaveta Chukharova
