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| "Putin's Palace" | |
|---|---|
"Дворец Путина" | |
 | |
 | |
| Alternative names | Residence at Cape Idokopas |
| General information | |
| Type | Palace |
| Architectural style | Italianate |
| Location | Gelendzhik Urban Okrug, Krasnodar Krai, Russia |
| Construction started | 2005 |
| Cost | $1,400,000,000 (estimate) |
| Owner | Alexander Ponomarenko (claimed; since 2011) Arkady Rotenberg (claimed; since 2021) Vladimir Putin (allegedly; denied) |
| Technical details | |
| Size | 17,691 square metres (190,420 sq ft)[1] |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect(s) | Lanfranco Cirillo |
| Main contractor | Spetsstroy of Russia[2] |
"Putin's Palace"[3] (Russian: "Дворец Путина", romanized: "Dvorets Putina") is an Italianate palace complex located on the Black Sea coast near Gelendzhik, Krasnodar Krai, Russia.
The complex first came to public attention in 2010 after whistleblower Sergei Kolesnikov published an open letter to Russian president Dmitry Medvedev exposing the construction of the palace. Kolesnikov also stated that the undertaking was run by Nikolai Shamalov who was acting on behalf of Vladimir Putin.[4] Alexander Ponomarenko was later reported to have ownership.
The complex drew wider public attention in 2021, when Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny's Anti Corruption Foundation (FBK) released an investigative documentary film about it which detailed a corruption scheme allegedly headed by Putin and claimed that the palace was built for the president's personal use. The FBK investigation estimated the cost of the build to be over 100 billion rubles (US$956 million) at 2022 prices. Putin denied that the palace belonged to him, with the Kremlin saying that it is a private venture owned by various businessmen whose names cannot be revealed by the state.[5] Following the release of the film, Arkady Rotenberg, who has close ties to Putin, claimed ownership of the palace.
In 2024, the Russian outlet Proekt reported that parts of the Palace have been reconverted, reconfiguring various entertainment rooms – such as a casino, pole-dancing room and room for miniature railroads – into lounging rooms and a chapel with a dedication to Saint Vladimir.[6]
- ^ Ilyushina, Mary (20 January 2021). "Navalny releases investigation into decadent billion-dollar 'Putin palace". www.cnn.com. CNN. Archived from the original on 20 January 2021. Retrieved 21 January 2021.
- ^ "Бизнесмен Колесников в первом видеоинтервью объяснился по поводу "дворца Путина"" [Businessman Kolesnikov in the first video interview explained about "Putin's palace"]. NEWSru (in Russian). 25 February 2011. Archived from the original on 29 January 2021. Retrieved 30 January 2021.
- ^ * Dawisha, Karen (2015). Putin's kleptocracy : who owns Russia?. New York: Simon & Schuster. pp. XII. ISBN 978-1-4767-9520-1. OCLC 894747004. Archived from the original on 7 June 2021. Retrieved 2 February 2021.
- Grey, Stephen; Bush, Jason; Anin, Roman (21 May 2014). "Comrade Capitalism: Putin's Palace". Reuters. Moscow. Archived from the original on 24 January 2021. Retrieved 2 February 2021.
- Roache, Madeline (29 January 2021). "How Navalny Uncovered Putin's $1.3 Billion Palace". Time. Archived from the original on 2 February 2021. Retrieved 2 February 2021.
- Shmagun, Olesya (6 October 2017). "The Magic Isle: How Wealthy Russians Use an Offshore Territory to Avoid Taxes on Private Jets". Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project. Archived from the original on 7 November 2017. Retrieved 2 February 2021.
- Kaminska, Izabella (20 January 2021). "Further reading". Financial Times. Archived from the original on 20 January 2021. Retrieved 2 February 2021.
- Oliphant, Roland (9 March 2011). "Oligarch Buys "Putin's Palace"". The St. Petersburg Times. Archived from the original on 29 March 2012. Retrieved 3 February 2021.
- "Alexei Navalny: Millions watch jailed critic's 'Putin palace' film". BBC News. 20 January 2021. Archived from the original on 20 January 2021. Retrieved 20 January 2021.
- ^ Smolentceva, Natalia; Barysheva, Elena (21 January 2021). "Russian activist says he toured Putin's rumored palace". Deutsche Welle. Retrieved 22 January 2022.
- ^ "Billionaire Arkady Rotenberg says he owns Vladimir Putin's alleged seaside 'palace'". Meduza. 30 January 2021. Retrieved 22 January 2022.
- ^ "An investigation into how Vladimir Putin has changed along with his palace". Proekt. 7 May 2024. Retrieved 18 July 2024.