The 'Golden Insanity': Putin's Alleged Palace in Photos
Jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny’s investigative team has published hundreds of photos of a huge Black Sea mansion allegedly built for President Vladimir Putin.
Released one year after their infamous "Putin’s Palace" investigation, which helped fuel nationwide protests that were followed by a sweeping crackdown, the latest video already has 8.4 million views on YouTube.
Here's a look inside the alleged "Putin's Palace":
Released one year after their infamous "Putin’s Palace" investigation, which helped fuel nationwide protests that were followed by a sweeping crackdown, the latest video already has 8.4 million views on YouTube.
Here's a look inside the alleged "Putin's Palace":
The “Putin’s Palace” investigation was released in January 2021 and was based on analysis of official documents and a few photos of the mansion’s interior taken by the builders.
Georgy Alburov / Team Navalny
In the original film, Navalny's team relied on computer-generated renderings of how the mansion likely looks inside based on its design plans they obtained, which included specific models of furniture and other major objects.
Georgy Alburov / Team Navalny
For their latest project, Navalny's team obtained around 500 photos that depict the interior in detail. This photo captures Putin's alleged bedroom.
Georgy Alburov / Team Navalny
Two-headed golden eagles, national symbols of Russia, are featured in almost every room, usually as a part of walls decoration.
Georgy Alburov / Team Navalny
The bathroom is linked to the bedroom. It also includes an armchair position opposite the toilet seat.
Georgy Alburov / Team Navalny
The new photos confirm most of the team's initial estimates of the mansion's interior appearance. However, “the truth turned out to be much worse” in some cases, they said in the new video.
Georgy Alburov / Navalny Team
The luxury furniture (some costing up to several thousand euros) were located where the original design plan indicated them to be.
Georgy Alburov / Team Navalny
The halls, corridors, and numerous rooms turned out to be more lavishly decorated than originally thought.
Georgy Alburov / Team Navalny
The photos reveal how the stripper pole in the “hookah room” really looks. This room also features golden double-headed eagles on the walls.
Georgy Alburov / Team Navalny
Navalny's team stressed that the photos were taken several years ago, and most of the interior was later demolished. According to the investigators, mistakes were made during the initial construction and mold started to grow in the most of these lavishly decorated rooms.
Georgy Alburov / Team Navalny
The mansion's office. As with most pieces of furniture, the team's original estimates of how it looks were correct, as they searched online for the furniture models by their names and serial numbers and paid for access to catalogs.
Georgy Alburov / Team Navalny
According to Navalny's team, the total cost of the palace throughout its 17 years of construction is close to $1.3 billion (100 billion rubles)
Georgy Alburov / Team Navalny
The swimming pool. In the latest video, the narrators said the pool turned out to be more lavishly decorated than they first thought.
Georgy Alburov / Team Navalny
The original investigation didn't show that the pool room was decorated by Greek-inspired statues, chief among them being the statue of Poseidon, the Greek god of the sea.
Georgy Alburov / Team Navalny
The meeting room. The doors of the meeting room are the only double doors in the building. Navalny's team posited that this might be to make the room more soundproof.
Georgy Alburov / Team Navalny
The wine cellar. The middle part of the room is protected by glass walls to regulate temperatures.
Georgy Alburov / Team Navalny
Home theater. The two-story hall includes a stage.
Georgy Alburov / Team Navalny
According to billionaire Arkady Rotenberg, who claims to be the mansion's real owner, the complex is destined to become a hotel.
Georgy Alburov / Team Navalny
According to Navalny's team, most of the mansion was designed by the Italian designer Lanfranco Cirillo.
Georgy Alburov / Team Navalny
A hallway. After the release of the initial "Putin's Palace" film, state-linked media outlets conducted their own investigations and got access to the palace. By that time, most of the lavish corridor decorations were gone and have not yet been replaced with an updated version.
Georgy Alburov / Team Navalny
The new "Putin's Palace" film has been the top-trending video on Russian YouTube for several days in a row.
Georgy Alburov / Team Navalny
Almost all of the luxurious items in the mansion are foreign-made, the investigation claims. Many furniture pieces were allegedly purchased from Italian firms.
Georgy Alburov / Team Navalny
The new video is named "Golden Insanity. The Real Pictures of Putin's Palace."
Georgy Alburov / Team Navalny
Georgy Alburov / Team Navalny
The photos also revealed new information outside the main building. What the investigators initially said was a giant greenhouse turned out to be a restaurant complex resembling a shopping mall food court.
Georgy Alburov / Team Navalny
The mansion's total size is roughly 17,700 square meters.
Georgy Alburov / Team Navalny
Navalny’s team did not disclose how they obtained the new photos.
Georgy Alburov / Team Navalny
According to the investigators, the palace is still being built with government money. In their new film, claimed that since the release of their first bombshell film in 2021, almost nothing has changed in how the construction is being carried out.
Georgy Alburov / Team Navalny
Georgy Alburov / Team Navalny
According to the 2021 film, the project is being financed through a network of Putin’s former colleagues and his school friends. The Kremlin denies that Putin is personally involved.
Georgy Alburov / Team Navalny
Oligarch Arkady Rotenberg claims the mansion belongs to him, but his claim is not supported by documents, Navalny's team says.
Georgy Alburov / Team Navalny
The first "Putin’s Palace" video became the most-watched YouTube video in Russia of 2021, getting more than 120 million views.
Georgy Alburov / Team Navalny
The film launched a series of protests across the country. The protests grew in size after Navalny was jailed upon his return to Russia but were met with a sweeping crackdown.
Georgy Alburov / Team Navalny
