The reported mega-palace owned by Vladimir Putin can be seen on Google Maps. The revelation comes after Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny's Anti-Corruption Foundation released a documentary about the property, claiming Putin uses the palace as his own private home, something the Russian president has denied.
The Kremlin alleges that the home is a business venture owned by various businessmen. However, the murky world of the Russian mega-rich has led to speculation that it could actually belong to the Russian president himself.
Google's technology allows people to drop a pin and take a look around pretty much anywhere on Earth. So, the house that supposedly belongs to an authoritarian world leader currently responsible for a war in Ukraine – that has seen several thousand reported deaths and the displacement of around 1.5 million people – may be of interest.
The stunning palace is complete with a range of incredible features full of luxury and has become known as 'Putin's Palace'. So where is it and what is in the home?
What is Putin's Palace?
A documentary into the place claimed there is a large church on the property, along with an amphitheatre and 27,000-square-foot guest house featuring 11 guest bedrooms. Inside the property is a huge master bedroom and another dozen guest bedrooms.
Anyone staying there can also use a Las Vegas-style casino, complete with a lap-dancing bar, or treat themselves to a drink in the swim bar. One particularly incredible claim suggests there is an indoor go-kart track.
Navalny's allies published photos of the palace, which is also said to have a separate kitchen for meat, fish, baked goods and vegetables. In August 2020, Navalny was poisoned with Novichock, the same nerve agent used in the Salisbury Poisonings in 2017, and he was later jailed.
After the allegations were revealed, which Navalny called "the largest bribe in history", billionaire Arkady Rotenberg claimed he owns the mansion and it is set to become an apartment hotel. Arkady's son, Igor, and brother, Boris, have both been sanctioned by the UK due to their close ties to Putin. Navalny's estimates on the property go over £1 billion.
Where is Putin's palace?
The palace is near Gelendzhik, a resort town on the Black Sea in Krasnodar Krai. Its plush location on the Black Sea has not stopped the building from having to be disinfected twice after mould was found to have spread throughout it.
Putin said the video of the property was "boring". He said: "Nothing that is listed there as my property belongs to me or my close relatives, and never did."
One Google Maps, the exact location of the palace can be found here.
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