Moscow Region Governor Highlights Nizhny Novgorod as a Model for Transitioning Trade from the Gray Market
In the heart of Russia, the Moscow region is taking significant steps to ensure a secure and regulated environment, with a focus on migration control and legal trade. As reported by the online portal 360.ru, the region's Governor has made several announcements regarding these changes.
The Governor has emphasised the importance of legally registered migrants who respect the cultural, historical rules, customs of Russia and the Moscow region, and who do not pose a threat or engage in illegal activities. However, no specific changes in the location of sales points have been announced as of yet.
In terms of trade, the Governor aims to make it more civilised and safe. To achieve this, employment of migrant workers is now possible only through patents in the Moscow region. Furthermore, all sales points should be legal, and the existing requirement for them to be located in the tax-paying zone remains in place.
Interestingly, the Moscow region is considering the experience of Nizhny Novgorod with trade points. The Governor mentioned examples of implementing trade projects in Moscow, Grozny, and Nizhny Novgorod as models for the Moscow region to follow.
Notably, the Governor stated that the ban on migrant workers in trade, education, and other sectors was introduced at the beginning of 2025. The active closure of illegal trading facilities has also started in the Moscow region.
As of mid-2025, there is no publicly available information indicating that the Moscow region has implemented legal trading zones similar to those established in cities like Nizhny Novgorod and Grozny. The focus in Moscow seems to remain on security, migration control, and adapting to economic sanctions rather than on formalising street trade or market zones.
The Governor's statements about the changes in trade in the Moscow region and the ban on migrant workers have been reported by the portal 360.ru. However, as of the latest data available to June 2025, the Moscow region has not adopted or announced legal trading zones modeled after those in Nizhny Novgorod or Grozny.
[1] Source: 360.ru, June 2025 [4] Source: Moscow Region Government Official Website, June 2025
- The Governor's emphasis in the Moscow region extends beyond migration control, as he also targets the finance and business sector, ensuring legal employment of migrant workers and safe, civilized trade.
- Additionally, the Governor's interest in the general-news arena includes examining the industry-specific experiences of cities like Nizhny Novgorod, judiciously implementing trade projects in the Moscow region.
- In the political landscape of Russia, the Moscow region's focus on security, migration control, and economic sanctions adaptation continues, with no announced plans for implementing legal trading zones as observed in cities such as Nizhny Novgorod or Grozny.
