Vladimir Putin has been accused of building a secret ultra-luxury £100 million palace on a cliff edge in occupied Crimea.
The ‘huge palace’, kitted out with a private hospital, operating theatre, cryochamber, and gold-plated bathroom fittings, was uncovered by Russia’s Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK).
The FBK, which was founded by ‘murdered’ Kremlin foe Alexei Navalny, has a mission to make Russia a free, peaceful and prosperous country.
An investigation by the FBK has found the sprawling complex, hidden at Cape Aya at the southern tip of the Black Sea peninsula, which was originally built for ousted Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych.
The building has since been transformed into ‘a huge palace’ belonging to Putin, according to the FBK.
The main house measures 96,975 square feet, with a second cliff-side building of nearly 53,820 square feet hidden beneath landscaped gardens.
There is a private promenade, pier, artificial beach with white sand, and a new helipad higher up the slope.
According to project documents and photographs, the interiors are lavish and decadent.
The investigators said: ‘The sheer excess of luxury starts to make one feel slightly nauseous.’
There are two ‘royal bedrooms’ in separate wings, with the main one measuring 2,600 square foot.
Meanwhile, the ‘boudoir’ is ‘about the size of three standard two-room flats.’
The investigators also said by ‘using a gold ladder and holding a golden handrail, one can climb into a golden jacuzzi, and, in a relaxed state, watch [Putin-controlled state TV’s] Channel One.’
The bathroom fittings, which are shaped like flowers, reportedly cost the equivalent of £28,330.
‘For that amount you could buy a studio flat, for example in [Russian resort] Sochi,’ investigators said.
Also, in each of the main bathrooms, the taps, toilet-paper holders, and robe hooks cost £104,000.
Away from the luxury bedrooms, there is an entire floor comprising a private hospital, which may raise questions over Putin’s health.
The floor includes a GP’s consulting room, an ENT doctor’s office, a dental surgery, and a full-scale operating theatre equipped with state-of-the-art German and Finnish medical devices.
Investigators also said: ‘There is an ultrasound machine costing 2 million roubles [£17,400], an examination and massage table, a large amount of diagnostic and test equipment, an electrocardiograph, physiotherapy equipment, and so on.’
They also noted: ‘A neuromuscular stimulation device, and equipment for analysing the condition of the chewing muscles and the movement trajectory of the lower jaw.
‘Further along the corridor, you can reach the operating theatre.
‘There is an operating table there costing 4 million roubles [£34,800], alongside a ventilator [mechanical ventilation unit], a defibrillator, an anaesthesia machine, and equipment for monitoring the patient’s condition.
‘An X-ray unit, equipment for gastroscopy and colonoscopy, and a great deal more.’
Anti-corruption campaigner Maria Pevchikh said: ‘The queen of Putin’s residences and yachts, his eternal companion and the big red flag pointing to the owner of this luxurious palace: the cryochamber.
‘Here Putin rejuvenates at –110°C.’
The location’s basement has been turned into an ‘entertainment zone’ with ‘an intimate cinema for eight people.’
What is a cryochamber?
Tragically a cryochamber is not a sci-fi freezing pod, the trick to near-eternal life in Alien films.
It is more an extreme version of cold water swimming. The cryochamber is a sealed enclosure where a person is briefly exposed to extremely cold temperatures to achieve health benefits. Athletes use them instead of ice baths.
Cryo chambers are most commonly used for:
- Muscle recovery after intense exercise
- Reducing inflammation and pain
- Improving circulation
- Boosting energy or mood
- Temperatures typically range from −110°C to −160°C (−166°F to −256°F)
- Sessions last 2–4 minutes
- The cold causes blood vessels to constrict, then rapidly dilate after you exit, increasing blood flow
The report summarised: ‘In our experience, there is only one person who adores these devices and insistently installs them in residential spaces: Vladimir Putin.’
According to financial records examined by the FBK, the lair was funded through the same network used for Putin’s lavish Gelendzhik estate.
The total cost is estimated at around 10 billion roubles (£100 million).
The ownership is through a web of companies linked to the leader’s oligarch cronies, who have become wealthy during his rule, the FBK alleges.
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