R
ussian banker Vladimir Stolyarenko has purchased a lavish apartment at New York's Plaza, paying $21 million for two units with Central Park views. The 5,302-square-foot residence features ornate details such as 24-karat gold and Venetian plaster, and was originally listed for $50 million after Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

    Stolyarenko, who previously chaired Evrofinance Mosnarbank, has also listed another unit in the Plaza for $10.49 million with a $7,500 American Express gift card incentive for brokers. The couple purchased this unit in 2007 and have had it on and off the market since.

    The Stolyarenkos are also owners of a dilapidated Palm Beach property they bought from Tommy Hilfiger in 2018 for $35 million. The mansion has been in disrepair, with neighbors complaining about flooding caused by its backed-up drainage system. A renovation is finally underway after years of neglect.

    In contrast to some ultra-rich Russians who fled New York following the Ukraine invasion, Stolyarenko and others like him have lived abroad for decades and are now returning. The Plaza itself has a rich history, built in 1907 as a French Renaissance-inspired chateau-style building designed by Henry J. Hardenbergh.

    The property's current owner is Katara Hospitality, which acquired it from Donald Trump in the late 1980s after he lost the hotel four years after purchasing it for $390 million.