Vladimir Putin stands accused of secretly seizing control of a breathtaking £100 million palace perched on a cliff in occupied Crimea, according to a damning new investigation.
A Monument to Excess on Occupied Land
The sprawling complex, hidden at Cape Aya on the southern tip of the Black Sea peninsula, was originally constructed for ousted Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych. Following Russia's illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014, the estate was reportedly transformed into a private residence for the Russian leader. The investigation was conducted by the team of the late Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny, whose work continues to expose high-level corruption.
The scale of the main building is immense, covering 96,875 square feet, with a second cliff-side structure spanning nearly 53,820 square feet concealed beneath landscaped gardens. The estate boasts a private promenade, a pier, and an artificial beach with imported white sand. A new helipad has been constructed higher up the slope for discreet access.
Gold-Plated Interiors and a Private Hospital Wing
The interiors, detailed through project documents and photographs, are described as excessively lavish, even when compared to Putin's other known palaces like Valdai and the larger Gelendzhik residence. Navalny's team stated, "The sheer excess of luxury starts to make one feel slightly nauseous."
The property features two 'royal bedrooms' in separate wings. The primary bedroom suite measures a staggering 2,600 square feet, with a bathroom of 538 square feet. Investigators noted that the 'boudoir' is "about the size of three standard two-room flats." The bathroom fittings are a study in extravagance, with items shaped like flowers costing an estimated £28,330 each—enough to purchase a studio apartment in the Russian resort of Sochi. The total cost for taps, toilet-paper holders, and robe hooks in each main bathroom reaches £104,000.
A dedicated woman's bedroom, presumed to be for Putin's longtime partner, former gymnast Alina Kabaeva, 42, is included, along with bedrooms for their two young sons. An adjutant's room for a member of the Federal Protective Service is also present.
Perhaps most revealing is the fully-equipped private hospital occupying an entire floor, a feature also found at Putin's other residences. It raises persistent questions about the 73-year-old leader's health. The medical suite includes a GP's consulting room, an ENT office, a dental surgery, and a full-scale operating theatre fitted with state-of-the-art German and Finnish equipment.
The inventory includes an ultrasound machine worth £17,400, an operating table costing £34,800, and specialised devices such as "a neuromuscular stimulation device, and equipment for analysing the condition of the chewing muscles." The palace is also fitted with air-recirculating UV sterilisers, contrast plunge pools, and a cryochamber where, as anti-corruption campaigner Maria Pevchikh noted, "Putin rejuvenates at –110°C."
Funding and a Symbol of Unchecked Power
According to financial records examined by Navalny's investigators, the palace was funded through the same opaque network used for Putin's Gelendzhik estate. "Both palaces were paid for in exactly the same way, from the same wallets, at roughly the same time," the report claims. The total cost is estimated at around 10 billion roubles, or almost £100 million, which the investigators label as "a bribe to President Putin."
Legal ownership is obscured by a web of companies linked to oligarchs loyal to Putin. After being seized from Yanukovych—now living in exile in Russia—the property was ostensibly earmarked as a sanatorium but instead fell into the Russian president's hands.
The late Navalny's team concludes that the Cape Aya palace is a potent symbol of the unchecked corruption and power consolidation in modern Russia. They pose a stark question: "Why does Putin need yet another palace? How many palaces does one man need?" Their report asserts that Putin and his inner circle "have stolen so much in a quarter of a century that it can no longer be spent."
