- Leaked emails have revealed the lavish luxury of a complex linked to Putin.
- An investigation links the property to many others, all linked to the Russian president.
- Drawings and images describe extravagant fittings worth millions of dollars.
Loading Something is loading.
Drawings and images of architects from leaked emails give an idea of a magnificent Russian property with the nickname “Putin’s Whale”.
The details come from an investigation by The Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) and the Russian news agency Meduza. They describe an extravagant, secluded spot on Lake Ladoga, northwestern Russia.
The Kremlin has denied any connection to the property, which according to the investigation is on 420 hectares of private land and houses three separate buildings.
The most famous of the three is an astonishing award-winning building called the Fisherman’s Hut, the media reported.
Outdoor depiction of Putin’s Fisherman’s Hut, received by Meduza and OCCRP in leaked emails Evgeny Mercuryev Architect Studio
Locals called it “Putin’s dacha,” using the Russian word for villa or rural retreat. At the local level, there seems to be a common assumption that President Vladimir Putin is using it, the OCCRP reported.
In 2016, a report on Russia’s now-banned TV channel TV Rain found that Putin’s close ally Yuri Kovalchuk had bought the land.
The OCCRP / Medusa investigation said it was linked to dozens of other Putin-linked properties that formed an obvious network to provide wealth to the Russian leader without him technically owning it.
In response to the investigation, the Kremlin told the OCCRP: “The president of the Russian Federation is not affiliated or affiliated in any way with the assets and organizations you mentioned.”
Artificial waterfall and bathrooms with shower handles for $ 4,600
Drawing of a vanity counter for Putin’s Fisherman’s Hut, received by Meduza and OCCRP in leaked emails Evgeny Mercuryev Architect Studio
According to the investigation, the leaked emails revealed characteristics of the properties, including:
- Three pools, including one with its own decorative waterfall
- 200 square meters open-plan dining area with restaurant-style kitchen, including tandoor, Japanese-style beater and smoking room
- Private brewery equipped with Austrian brewing equipment worth $ 363,000
- Trout farm and Kobe beef cattle farm
- Solid floor for $ 110,000, made of Fior di Bosco marble
- Brass top with solid labradorite top, flowing semi-precious stone
- Six bathrooms, priced at $ 46,000, with bidet faucets at $ 10,800 each and $ 4,600 shower handles
“You can only build such a project with an unlimited budget,” an anonymous architect told OCCRP.
Drawing of a countertop for Putin’s “Fisherman’s Hut”, received by Meduza and OCCRP in leaked emails Evgeny Mercuryev Architect Studio
A shared email server connects “Putin’s villa” to others
Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, and Russian CEO Rosneft Igor Sechin visit the Konev Monastery on Konevets Island in Lake Ladoga, Russia, July 31, 2021. Alexei Nikolsky, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo by AP
OCCRP and Meduza received cash from thousands of emails suggesting a common business link between a wide range of luxury properties and assets in Russia, occupied Crimea and beyond.
This collection of yachts, wineries, palaces and villas – including the Lake Ladoga complex – has often been linked to Putin and his inner circle in previous reports.
But the investigation found that most of these seemingly different business interests use a common email server – LLCInvest.ru – or use the same exclusive private bank.
About 420 hectares of land belong to LLC Invest, and the company that owns the building itself – called Prime – uses the email domain LLCInvest.ru, the investigation found.
Add Comment