Support The Moscow Times!

Dmitry Medvedev's Day Off: Russian Prime Minister Snapped in Ski Resort Despite Reports of Flu

Matthias Schrader / AP

Poor Dmitry Medvedev: only two weeks after Russia's second-in-command faced down allegations of running a corruption empire, he's now allegedly been caught pulling a sneaky sick day. 

The Russian prime minister was snapped on Instagram enjoying the elite Russian ski resort of Arkhyz, just two days after Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that his second-in-command was simply “too ill” to attend a top government meeting.

Putin told Russia's Security Council on Tuesday that Medvedev was suffering from the flu. “The [country's flu] epidemic is in decline, but the situation is still serious: Dmitry Anatolyevich has not been spared,” Putin announced.

The owner of Coffee Bar Berry posted a photo of the prime minister in her shop in in Arkhyz on Thursday. She said that Medvedev had enjoyed a drink along with Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Khloponin.

Both men approved of the coffee shop's rebranded Americano: the “Rusiano,” she wrote.

На днях нам выпала честь угощать кофе первых лиц государства во главе с Премьер-министром РФ Медведевым Д.А. и Заместителем председателя Правительства РФ Хлопониным А.Г. Всем очень понравился наш кофе 🤗🇷🇺☕️👏🏼особенно"Русиано" ;) #русиано #arkhyz_ski #arkhyz #архыз #coffee #кофе_с_собой #ski #coffe_to_go #горы #кофе #кофемания #lovecoffee #архыз_парк #вкусно #sochi #розахутор #gorkigorod #горкигород #rosakhutor #луннаяполяна #lunka #зима #краснаяполяна #кофевгорах

A post shared by CoffeeBarBerry (@coffeebarberry) on

Russia's parliament announced on Friday that they would not be calling on Medvedev to answer for accusations of corruption put forward by opposition rival Alexei Navalny.

Russia's Anti-Corruption Foundation, an NGO created by Navalny in 2011, accused Medvedev on March 2 of collecting bribes through charitable organizations run by close friends and former classmates. 

The organization claimed that Medvedev owns four mansions across the country, each worth several million dollars. Other alleged holdings include two large plots of land in Krasnodar, an Italian vineyard, and a lavish residential building in the heart of St. Petersburg with luxurious apartments and two yachts. 

The Kremlin has refused to comment on the claims.

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysis and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview
Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy

A Message from The Moscow Times:

Dear readers,

We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."

These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.

By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.

Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
paiment methods
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read more