Viatcheslav Moshe Kantor

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Russian-British-Israeli businessman (born 1953)

Viatcheslav Kantor
Image Viatcheslav_Moshe_Kantor.jpg
Born 08 09 1953 (age 73 years old (as of 2026)

) Moscow, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union

Died
Nationality Russian, British, 'Israeli'
Residence
Occupation Businessman
Known for
Parents
Spouse(s) Anna Kantor
Children
Sibling(s)
Website moshekantor.com

Viatcheslav Moshe Kantor is a Russian-born British and 'Israeli' oligarch.[1] He serves as President of the European Jewish Congress, President of the World Holocaust Forum Foundation and Chairman of the European Jewish Fund. Following the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, Kantor was placed on sanctions lists by the United Kingdom and the European Union. He was removed from the EU and Swiss sanctions lists in March 2025 and re-elected President of the European Jewish Congress for a fifth term in May 2025.[2]

Early life and education

Kantor was born on 8 September 1953 in Moscow.[3] He graduated from the Moscow Aviation Institute in 1976 and completed a PhD there in 1981 in spacecraft automatic control systems.[4]

Career

Kantor gained his wealth as the largest shareholder of the Acron Group, one of the world's largest mineral fertiliser producers.[5][6] He also owns shares in the Polish chemical company Grupa Azoty.[7] Kantor has close ties to Vladimir Putin according to the Zionist press.[8]

Sanctions

In March 2022 the British government sanctioned Kantor.[9] The European Union imposed sanctions on 8 April 2022.[10] He was removed from the EU sanctions list on 14 March 2025[11] and from the Swiss list on 18 March 2025.[12]

Civic activities

Kantor served as President of the European Jewish Congress from 2007 to 2022 and was re-elected for a fifth term in May 2025.[13][14] He founded the World Holocaust Forum in 2005, the European Jewish Fund in 2006, and the European Council on Tolerance and Reconciliation. He established the Kantor Center for the Study of Contemporary European Jewry at Tel Aviv University in 2010.[15] In 2020 the World Holocaust Forum organised by Kantor was criticised after Vladimir Putin gave a speech that allegedly distorted the history of the Soviet Union in the Second World War.[16]

Impact of UK sanctions on Moshe Kantor's charitable foundations

In April 2022, the UK government designated Dr Viatcheslav Moshe Kantor (commonly known as Moshe Kantor) as a "designated person" under the Russia (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 due to his close ties to the Putin regime and his role in Russian business. This triggered immediate investigations by the Charity Commission for England and Wales into his UK-based charities.

The two main affected foundations were:

Both were administered through a corporate trustee, Kantor Trustees Ltd, of which Moshe Kantor was the sole director and primary funder. Following his designation, Moshe Kantor stepped back from all UK charitable activity, other directors resigned, and the charities were left without any trustees. The Charity Commission for England and Wales appointed Interim Managers, froze bank accounts, and ultimately determined that both charities were no longer viable.

In April 2026 the Charity Commission for England and Wales concluded its inquiries and wound up the foundations. After settling liabilities, £1,388,000 was redistributed to other charitable causes in line with the original objects of the foundations.

A separate inquiry into the World Holocaust Forum Foundation (of which Moshe Kantor was trustee) led to his permanent disqualification as a charity trustee in the UK and the dissolution of that charity in December 2023.

    • Trustees and directors of the main Kantor UK foundations (pre-sanctions)**
Foundation Corporate Trustee Directors/Trustees Notes
Kantor Foundation (1173549) Kantor Trustees Ltd Dr Viatcheslav Moshe Kantor (sole director) Sole trustee; primary funder
Kantor Charitable Foundation (1173550) Kantor Trustees Ltd Dr Viatcheslav Moshe Kantor (sole director) Sole trustee; primary funder

Role at the European Jewish Congress (EJC) and its significance

Moshe Kantor has served as President of the European Jewish Congress (EJC) since 2007 and was re-elected for a fifth term in May 2025. The European Jewish Congress is the largest democratically elected umbrella organisation representing Jewish communities across Europe, uniting national Jewish bodies from more than 40 countries and approximately 2.5 million Jews.

Under Moshe Kantor’s long leadership the European Jewish Congress has become the primary unified voice of European Jewry on issues including combating antisemitism, Holocaust remembrance, countering extremism, and strengthening ties with the European Union and Israel. The organisation lobbies European institutions, coordinates responses to antisemitic incidents, and promotes Jewish life and security across the continent.

Kantor’s role in funding Jewish communal and pro-Israel activities in Russia

Moshe Kantor has been one of the largest private funders of Jewish revival in post-Soviet Russia. Through his personal philanthropy and the Kantor Foundation he has supported the construction and renovation of synagogues, Jewish schools, community centres, and cultural institutions across Russia. He has also funded major projects such as the Moscow Jewish Museum and Tolerance Center.

Relations with Chabad

Moshe Kantor has maintained particularly close relations with the Chabad-Lubavitch movement in Russia. Under Chief Rabbi Berel Lazar, Chabad has become the dominant force in organised Jewish life in the country. Moshe Kantor’s funding has helped support Chabad’s extensive network of educational programmes, synagogues, community centres, and outreach activities across Russia and the former Soviet Union (FSU). His philanthropy has been instrumental in enabling Chabad’s rapid expansion in Russia since the 1990s, making it the most visible and influential Jewish organisation in the country. See: Chabad Lubavitch of Russia.[17] Specific groups and projects supported by Moshe Kantor include:

Other major funders of Chabad in Russia have included oligarch Lev Leviev, who has supported Chabad-affiliated foundations such as the Or Avner and Hannah Foundation.[18]

Personal life

Kantor holds citizenship of Russia, the United Kingdom and Israel.[6][19] He is married to Anna Kantor.

Honours and awards

Kantor has received the Order of Friendship (Russia, 1998), the Order of Leopold (Belgium, 2009), the National Order of the Legion of Honour (France, 2012 and 2014) and the Grand Decoration of Honour in Gold for Services to the Republic of Austria (Austria, 2021), among others.[20] He is an honorary citizen of Veliky Novgorod (1997) and an Honorary Member of the Russian Academy of Arts.

Resources

Affiliations

See also

European Jewish Congress | World Jewish Congress \ European Council on Tolerance and Reconciliation | World Holocaust Forum Foundation

External links

Notes

  1. ↑ Asher Schechter, Just Don't Call Them Gaydamak: Meet Israel's Russian Oligarchs Haaretz, 3 July 2013.
  2. ↑ European Jewish Congress, Dr. Moshe Kantor re-elected EJC President: 'Europe's Jews stand with Israel' Israel National News, 22 May 2025.
  3. ↑ Alina Rebel, History of the Jews in Russia Litres, 3 September 2020, p. 249.
  4. ↑ Viatcheslav Kantor, Viatcheslav Kantor Forbes, 1 April 2025.
  5. ↑ Hasia R. Diner, The Oxford Handbook of the Jewish Diaspora Oxford University Press, 2021, p. 553.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Viatcheslav Kantor, Viatcheslav Kantor Forbes, 1 April 2025.
  7. ↑ Andrzej Kublik, Rosyjski oligarcha odbił akcje Grupy Azoty. Ale pozostają objęte sankcjami Gazeta Wyborcza, 31 July 2024.
  8. ↑ Anshel Pfeffer, How Putin's Man Made His Way to the Top of European Jewry Haaretz, 1 February 2016.
  9. ↑ Sean Coughlan, Queen's hospital donor placed on UK's Russia sanctions list BBC News, 6 March 2022.
  10. ↑ Council of the European Union, Official Journal L 110/2022 EUR-Lex, 8 April 2022.
  11. ↑ Council of the European Union, Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/527 of 14 March 2025 EUR-Lex, 14 March 2025.
  12. ↑ State Secretariat for Economic Affairs SECO, Situation in der Ukraine Delta 2025-03-18 SECO, 18 March 2025.
  13. ↑ European Jewish Congress, Dr. Moshe Kantor re-elected EJC President: 'Europe's Jews stand with Israel' Israel National News, 22 May 2025.
  14. ↑ Jerusalem Post staff, EJC elects Moshe Kantor for fifth term despite sanctions over Putin ties The Jerusalem Post, 21 May 2025.
  15. ↑ Jerusalem Post staff, 'Holocaust didn't erase Jewish life' The Jerusalem Post, 10 May 2010.
  16. ↑ Catherine Philp, Vladimir Putin's Holocaust speech rewrote history, museum admits The Times, 4 February 2020.
  17. ↑ Times of Israel, We need to talk about Russian oligarchs and Jewish philanthropy, 14 April 2022.
  18. ↑ Times of Israel, We need to talk about Russian oligarchs and Jewish philanthropy, 14 April 2022.
  19. ↑ Jessica Elgot and Jasper Jolly, Moshe Kantor: UK sanctions Russian billionaire over ties to Putin The Guardian, 6 April 2022.
  20. ↑ Jerusalem Post staff, Grapevine November 12: Yet another honor The Jerusalem Post, 11 November 2021.
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