New evidence of Putin’s secret £1 billion palace ’uncovered through Strava app data’
A data leak through the Strava exercise app has shed new light on Vladimir Putin’s £1 billion clifftop Black Sea palace.
The retreat – which the Russian dictator has always furiously denied owning – has been likened to the lair of a James Bond villain and even includes a throne.
Despite the Kremlin’s denials, an investigation by French newspaper Le Monde has shown how Putin’s henchmen are frequently in its vicinity.
Data from Strava showed four of Putin’s Federal Protective Service [FSO] security retinue were running close to the residence, near Gelendzhik, in August-September 2019, 2021, 2023 and 2024.
Late opposition leader Alexei Navalny’s team’s computer visualisation of the interior of a room in Putin’s £1 billion palace (Credits: FBK/east2west news)
Putin has always denied owning the £1bn retreat – which has been likened to a Bond villain’s lair (Credits: AP)
The app also linked the bodyguards to another secret Putin residence, a dacha bolthole just 18 miles from NATO territory in Finland in the Lake Ladoga National Park, says the newspaper.
Russian independent media outlets and now-dead opposition leader Alexei Navalny triggered a scandal by revealing the existence of the Gelendzhik pile in 2021.
Dubbed ‘Putin’s Palace’, it has its own vineyard and 16 storeys of underground passageways buried in the rock, described as more ingenious than Dr No’s bunker.
To diffuse the scandal, Putin’s close billionaire friend Arkady Rotenberg, 72, claimed he was the palace’s ‘beneficiary’ and intended to turn it into a hotel.
New proof of Putin’s palace emerged after a leak from exercise app Strava (Credit: east2west news/Shutterstock)
Few believed this and the latest revelations indicate that it belongs to Putin and his secret partner Alina Kabaeva, 41, who has two undisclosed sons with him – Ivan, nine, and Vladimir Junior, five.
According to a whistleblower, the palace’s designs include on the eighth subterranean floor ‘a balcony – literally a loggia hanging over the sea’ built into the cliff.
From here, the owner can enjoy wine tasting, said a mining engineer-turned-whistleblower, who reportedly worked on the construction – named only as Viktor.
An investigation in May by outlets FBK – which was linked with Navalny before his suspected murder in prison in February- and Proekt Media found the palace’s décor was being revamped.
The palace is said to have had a revamp recently – with a striptease stage and pole-dancing hookah hall being replaced in favour of less outlandish features (Credits: Proekt Media/east2west news)
Out went a striptease stage and pole-dancing hookah hall, casino, gaming room and ‘aqua disco’ as well as garish gold.
It has been speculated they were removed as part of Putin’s recent drive towards traditional Russian values.
This has been replaced by a church-inside-the-palace complete – like Russian emperors used to have – with its own wooden throne, along with sacred religious icons and images.
One depicts canonised Prince Vladimir the Great – Putin’s historical hero – who united Russian and Ukraine more than 1,000 years ago.
Late opposition leader Alexei Navalny team’s computer visualisation of a pole-dancing boudoir which has since reportedly been removed (Credits: FBK/east2west news)
This may be a nod to Putin’s untrue claim that Ukraine and Russia are ‘one people’ – something he used to justify the full-scale invasion of the country in February 2022.
‘This (the church) is probably the only room where the name of the real owner of this palace is directly indicated,’ said the investigation.
Historical paintings of war scenes showing a heroic Russia are also included in the palace.
One depicts the 1812 Battle of Borodino when, despite winning, Napoleon suffered heavy losses which contributed to his eventual defeat in Russia.
Another includes part of a prominent Kremlin painting called ‘whoever comes to us with a sword will die by the sword.’
The investigation was based on disclosures from a worker on the palace redesign who slipped his FSB minders to film the gargantuan palace dripping in luxury.
The largest bedroom overlooking the sea has a figurine of a bear.
There are treatment rooms possibly to be used for ‘medical and cosmetic procedures’.
Earlier, the mining engineer described ‘a whole anthill in the rock under the house’ including a nuclear shelter.
The northern hideaway in Karelia region is close to a scenic 13ft waterfall and a slice of commandeered national park.
A gazebo in full view of the beauty spot is sealed off from ordinary Russians, according to independent news outlet Dossier Centre.
Putin is known to have another palace north of Moscow at Valdai where Kabaeva and their two sons live like royalty.
The same exercise app was used by French guards protecting President Emmanuel Macron, US secret service agents who protect Joe Biden, Kamala Harris and Donald Trump, reported Le Monde.
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