Wildfire RAGES towards Putin’s secret $1.4bn forest palace

Wildfires are threatening Putin's Black Sea palace

Vladimir Putin may be running for his underground bunker yet again, as volatile wildfires rage just a few miles away from his private palace on Russia's Black Sea coast. The fast-moving flames have so far consumed around 291 acres of land, decimating woodland and threatening local residences, reportedly including the Russian president's alleged unofficial retreat. And what's more, sources say the origins of the fire are somewhat suspicious. Click or scroll on to find out more...

Dramatic images show fast-moving flames

Reports of the large fire in Gelendzhik, a resort town in Russia's Krasnodar Territory, first emerged on 29 August. Swathes of woodland went up in flames, with dramatic images showing how strong winds had contributed to its rapid spread. More than 400 firefighters have been enlisted to tackle the blaze, while the local government has also made appeals for volunteers to aid efforts. The fire is mere miles away from Putin's rumoured mansion, which is said to be shielded from sight by the dense forest.

Local resident reportedly arrested

The Russian government's Emergencies Ministry reported that 120 tons of water had already been dropped on the flames. Forest fires are rare on Russia's humid Black Sea coast, but the hot, dry weather is exacerbating matters and helping to propel the flames up the region's mountainous slopes. Yet the cause of the disaster may not be down to Mother Nature alone. Russia's Emergencies Ministry told Russia Today that "a human factor is assumed" and the Russian news website Vestnik Kavkaza even reported that an individual had been arrested. The 40-year-old resident was said to have caused a fire on his property "while preparing an electrical cable for sale", according to a press release supplied to the site by the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia for the Krasnodar Territory.

Are the flames drawing closer to Putin's palace?

Similarly, Russian news agency Interfax reported that the Emergencies Ministry had confirmed that the origins of the fire were due to a "breach of forest fire safety rules". Interfax also claims that while the fire is still raging, it's reportedly contained. As flames reportedly creep up a slope towards Gelendzhik, officials are denying that there is a risk posed to the town. However, efforts to extinguish the blaze have not dissipated, prompting some to wonder if Putin's alleged mansion near the town is at risk. This image of the terrain surrounding the Russian president's rumoured home shows the thick woodland that encircles its perimeter. Even if the fire reaches the $1bn fortress, Putin is said to have a disaster-proof bunker at the compound that he can shelter in.

Read on to take a tour of Putin's rumoured Black Sea palace

READ MORE: The Black Sea behemoth said to belong to the Russian president — Mikhail Svetlov / Getty Images ; navalny.com

Obscene wealth

Putin could certainly afford such a sumptuous place if the rumours surrounding his actual net worth are to be believed. Despite pulling in a relatively modest annual income of $135,000 (£106k), Russia's president is reputed to be worth up to $200 billion (£157bn), which would make him the second-richest person on the planet. And there's even a chance he could be the wealthiest.

Ill-gotten gains

Speculation is rife as to how the former KGB agent managed to acquire such a vast fortune. A Forbes investigation put forward suggestions ranging from outright theft and extortion to kickbacks and funnelling state funds into his private coffers (or a combo of all of the above). Reports of Putin's lavish lifestyle – completely at odds with his official salary which is disclosed by the Kremlin every year – have been pouring out of Russia for years.

Lavish lifestyle

News of the massive Black Sea property was first leaked in 2010 in an open letter to the then-President of Russia, Dmitriy Medvedev. Two years later, a probe by Putin opponents revealed the country's leader had the run of 20 palaces, with 58 aircraft at his disposal, including a jet that was fitted out by a high-end jewellery firm for $18 million (£14.1m). The investigation also spilled the beans on the president's flotilla of luxury yachts, one of which, a five-storey marvel with a Jacuzzi and marble and mahogany-clad cabin, is said to cost $50 million (£39.5m) a year to maintain.

Priciest palace

Allies of Putin's nemesis, the jailed opposition leader and anti-corruption activist Alexei Navalny, revealed details of the seaside palace in a documentary in January 2021 and mocked up images of the interiors, releasing the cache of 479 photos to back up their allegations exactly a year later. They assert the property is the most expensive palace in the world and that it was funded by the largest bribe in history.

Never-ending construction

Nestled in lush gardens near the resort town of Gelendzhik on the picturesque Black Sea coast, the palace sits in an estate 39 times the size of Monaco. Construction of the mega-mansion started in 2005 and is ongoing: mould problems are said to have plagued the project and the palace is being completely rebuilt, having already been reconstructed several times, according to the BBC.

Humongous size

Designed by Italy's Lanfranco Cirillo, the go-to architect for Russia's elite, the Italianate-style palace spans a whopping 190,000 square feet, making it more than three times bigger than the White House. While it's said to have just 11 bedrooms, the property has scores of rooms besides. Let's take a look inside.

Ornate space

We begin our tour in the ornate reading room. Interestingly, it appears to be inspired by the Kremlin's Georgievsky Hall, the fortress' grandest state room. These pics were actually taken a decade ago. More recent images featured on Russian TV show the interiors have since been stripped, presumably to deal with the recurrent mould infestation.

Palatial design

Exquisite golf leaf detailing abounds in the splendid high-ceilinged space, while polished marble flooring and classical-style frescos bolster the room's luxuriousness. The beautifully carved wooden fireplace surround is similarly opulent, while the built-in cabinetry looks like it was transplanted from the Palace of Versailles.

Dining elegance

The flashiness extends to this dining room, which is also decorated with plenty of gold leaf. The ostentatious furniture is Louis XIV style, the president's favourite, and as the Navalny activists point out, the tables and chairs are arranged in a P formation, which is the layout Putin prefers for his banquets in Moscow. Shockingly, a single chair retails for $10,300 (£8.1k) alone.

Master suite

Next up is Putin's alleged master suite, which is more of a master wing, given its vast size. The space comprises this swish living room, together with the master bedroom or boudoir, lounge, walk-in wardrobe and capacious master bathroom. Note the expensive marquetry flooring and plush velvet sofas.

Master bedroom

The master bedroom, which Navalny's team call the boudoir, is, as you'd expect, suitably showy, with its rococo-esque gilded ceiling and wall panels, gold leaf-covered sideboards and regal four-poster bed draped in the finest silks. Together with the rest of the décor, they no doubt cost a pretty penny.

Fancy lounge

Moving on, the lounge – which might have been designed as a dressing room or simply as a place to kick back and relax – is equally extravagant, with copious gold leaf and Louis XIV-style furniture. The star of this room has got to be the dramatic gold chandelier, though the ceiling is ravishing, too.

Monumental bath

A master bathroom designed for a strongman president – allegedly, of course – was never going to be a modest affair, and as you can see from this shot, no expense has been spared on the space. Taking pride of place in the room is a marble-columned spa bath, and there's also an enormous walk-in shower.

Posh pool

The indoor pool is next. One of the highlights of the palace, it wows with wall-to-wall marble, imposing columns and mega-expensive tiling. The activists actually underestimated the sumptuousness of this space in their computer-generated mock-ups. The reality is quite a lot posher than they'd envisaged.

Incredible craftsmanship

The space's most impressive features are its fabulous walls and ceiling. Adorned with gorgeous plasterwork that includes a bas-relief sculpture of the god Poseidon and Grecian-style busts (as well as delicately painted details and a colonnade), they really are something special and, like the palace's other star attractions, wouldn't have been cheap to create.

Deluxe theatre

Giving the pool a run for its money in the luxe stakes is the palace's theatre. A vision in intricately carved wood, which has been gilded to within an inch of its life, the space is decked out with a stage, lower seating area and balconies, each of which houses an imperial box for the VIPs in attendance.

Lap-dancing lounge

The hookah lounge and lap-dancing club is next. Yes, the palace does indeed boast its very own strip joint. The exotically decorated space is loaded with comfy sofas and dotted with silk and velvet cushions, artfully arranged around the focal point of the entire place, which is, of course, the lap-dancing pole.

Mirrored space

Just as much care, attention and hard cash have been lavished upon this room, with the custom wood panelling that clads the entire space exceptionally well-crafted. The mirrored ceiling adds a rather raunchy touch, and there are mirrors placed at regular intervals around the room.

Second master

The second master suite is up next – clearly, one isn't enough for the luxury-loving owner. Located at the opposite side of the luxury home to Putin's supposed suite, the space rivals it in splendour. The Navalny activists have revealed the cost of the furnishings in the rooms after identifying individual pieces in the palace plans (which they were able to obtain surreptitiously) and researching the prices.

Pricey furnishings

The bed, for instance, retails for $16,400 (£12.9k), while the dresser pictured to the left of this photo is priced at $19,700 (£15.5k). Another super-expensive piece, the white hidden-lift TV cabinet, was in all likelihood made especially for the space, since this kind of cabinetry tends to be bespoke.

Premium piece

The gilded chaise lounge, upholstered in purple velvet, offers a flamboyant touch and graces one of the corners of the room, where it rests in front of a crystal floor lamp. Again, the owner didn't scrimp on this decadent furniture piece, which is available to purchase from the manufacturer for a hefty $10,600 (£8.3k).

Meeting space

Next up is this handsome meeting room. Needless to say, the Kremlin denies the palace has anything to do with Putin and dismisses the activists' claim as 'pure nonsense'. Even the president himself attacked the allegations during a video conference with students in January 2021, calling the Navalny investigation “boring” and a “compilation and a montage”.

Genuine owner?

Billionaire oligarch Alexander Ponomarenko has claimed to be the long-time owner, and another billionaire oligarch, Arkady Rotenberg, is said to currently hold the deeds. Both men are close to Putin, especially Rotenberg, who is a childhood friend of the president and was once his judo sparring partner. Passing through this panelled hallway, you come to the office.

Presidential office

Looking very much like a place a president could run a country from, the roomy office is furnished with a monster T-shaped desk, which a leader and their advisors could huddle around to their hearts' content. The room also has a fine marble fireplace and abundant gilded decoration, with the double-headed eagle, the emblem of Russia, one of the key motifs. In fact, the eagle emblem features throughout the palace.

OTT furnishings

The room also contains what the Navalny activists call the most elaborate set of furniture in the whole palace: a collection of blingy gold sofas and chairs, which are very much in keeping with Putin's beloved Louis XIV style and definitely look like they belong in a spectacular stately home.

Aqua-disco

Stepping outside, we find what is called in the plans the "aqua-disco". When details of the amenity were first released, it inspired a meme and protest anthem, which is hardly surprising given the aqua-disco is one of the property's more frivolous features. Politics aside, it does look like a lot of fun, as it's basically a sunken dance floor with a fountain in the middle.

Underground rink

The eye-popping amenities don't stop there. According to the Navalny activists, a huge ice hockey rink and sports complex lie beneath this mound in the grounds of the palace. To the left of the photo you can make out the property's helipads, and there's also a checkpoint and even a no-fly zone imposed above the estate.

Byzantine-style church

Right next to the subterranean rink and helipads is a Byzantine-style Russian Orthodox church, which, thanks to its traditional design, looks like it's been there for many centuries. But like the palace itself and other buildings on the estate, the private place of worship is a new-build construction.

Restaurant and entertainment complex

At one point, there was even said to have been a marble gym on the property, but it was demolished for reasons unknown. Intriguingly, the people behind the construction have been careful to camouflage the site during building work, preventing prying eyes from glimpsing the palace's other knockout amenities, such as this building, which houses a private food court with several restaurants, a bar, cinema and games room.

Uncertain ownership

Among the palace's other amenities are its vineyards and winery. In 2021, the property's purported owner Arkady Rotenberg said it was being converted into an aparthotel, but Navalny and his supporters continue to insist the estate has always been Putin's. Recent developments, however, have strengthened the suggestion that the property does belong to the Russian leader.

Does Putin have a secret bunker?

Putin is renowned for extreme vigilance when it comes to his personal safety – whether that's reportedly enforcing a no-fly zone over his alleged $1.4 billion (£1.1bn) palace or conducting meetings at a super-long table in an attempt to avoid coronavirus. According to an investigation carried out by Business Insider in May 2023, it appears he may have gone one step further and built secret tunnels and a bunker beneath his rumoured Black Sea mega-mansion. A Russian contractor, Metro Style, shared plans of the tunnels to their website in the early 2010s, but there are other clues too...

Concealed entrances?

In drone images released by navalny.com, structures that appear to be concealed exits or entrances can be seen in the steep hillside that leads from the edge of the vast property to the beach beyond. That particular piece of shoreline also appears to have an access road running alongside the camouflaged structures. There is also a jetty and small harbour just feet away to the east of the tunnels, as well as what appears to be a road or railway line that runs inland. A helipad lies to the north of the palace complex, ensuring multiple escape points from the compound.

Architectural plans show secret tunnels

Metro Style, a Russian contractor who is no longer in business, allegedly showcased their work on the tunnels and, according to Business Insider, the images were viewable on their company website until 2016. This diagram shows an elevator shaft that descends around 164 feet down to two 19-foot-wide concrete tunnels, which reportedly lead to the beach. The lower 196-foot-long tunnel reportedly features a moving walkway that could whisk a person straight onto the shore. According to Thaddeus Gabryszewski, a structural engineer who reviewed the diagrams for Business Insider, the images are not blueprints. "They are closer to architectural drawings," he revealed. "They show you the intent, the flow, and the premise of these spaces."

Clues hidden in the drawings

A cross-section of the lower tunnel hints at the potential purpose of the tunnel. There are reported to be 16 seemingly innocuous racks attached to the inner walls of the tunnel and its ventilation shaft. Gabryszewski believes the racks would likely carry conduit pipes containing cables necessary to sustain life and even service a command post – electricity, lighting, internet and telecoms, for example. There are also water and sewage systems as well as multiple air intake shafts – far more than is needed to operate the tunnel alone. "This is intended for someone to survive or escape," he said.

The secret tunnels lead to the coast

As building work on the palace began in 2005, it suggests Putin foresaw a need for an escape route or bunker at a time when he seemed to be open to a relationship with the West. Speaking to Business Insider, Michael C. Kimmage, a former US State Department official who worked on Russia and Ukraine policy, said survivalism was "a likely driver behind the tunnels' remote location." As the Russian invasion of Ukraine rages on, and in the wake of an aborted mutiny by the Wagner Group of Russian mercenaries, these precautions may yet play a part in Putin's survival – politically and personally.

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