N ikolay Fartushnyak is a Russian entrepreneur who co-founded Sportmaster, one of the largest sporting goods retail chains in Eastern Europe. He embarked on his entrepreneurial journey in the early 1990s, a period of profound economic transformation in Russia following the collapse of the Soviet Union. In 1992, Fartushnyak and his brother Vladimir, along with Alexander Mikhalsky and Dmitry Doit, started a small business distributing German Kettler fitness equipment. They recognized the growing public interest in health and fitness in post-Soviet Russia and sought to fill a significant gap in the market for quality sporting goods.

The venture began modestly, operating out of a small space at the Russian State University of Physical Education, Sport, Youth and Tourism. The business steadily grew, and in 1995, they opened their first retail store in Moscow under the name Kettler-Sport. Realizing the potential for a multi-brand format, they launched the first Sportmaster store in 1997. The company expanded rapidly across Russia and into neighboring CIS countries like Ukraine, Belarus, and Kazakhstan, becoming the dominant player in the sporting goods retail market. The group also developed other retail formats, including the O'STIN casual wear chain and the Funday discount apparel stores, diversifying its retail empire.