Baku, September 10, 2025
The sudden closure of Emin Agalarov’s restaurants in Moscow – Forte Bello, Zafferano and Edoko – has been dressed up as a “business decision.” His company AgalarovRest insists it is simply pivoting away from malls like AviaPark toward independent projects. Market analysts echo that story, citing tired concepts and dwindling returns in the mid-to-upper dining segment.
But in Russia today, nothing involving a high-profile Azerbaijani-origin businessman is just about menus and margins. For many, this looks like a new tactic in the Kremlin’s undeclared campaign to squeeze Baku’s elites: attack them where it hurts, financially and symbolically.
Emin is not only a singer-entrepreneur. He is the son of billionaire developer Aras Agalarov – and the father of President Ilham Aliyev’s grandchildren. That family tie elevates the story from lifestyle pages to geopolitics.
The closures feel less like normal market churn and more like a calibrated strike – a reminder that Moscow can unsettle even those with impeccable connections. It’s a moral jab, a financial cut, and a political message rolled into one.
For Azerbaijanis watching closely, the signal is unmistakable: the Kremlin still plays hardball with diaspora figures when it wants leverage. Today it’s restaurant doors closing. Tomorrow, the pressure may shift elsewhere.
