Now Russian President Vladimir Putin has managed to pull himself out of the line of fire: Almost two weeks after the publication of the unveiling video “A Palace for Putin”, which was clicked a million times, his former judo sparring partner has declared himself the owner of the opulent property.
The oligarch Arkadi Rotenberg said in a video posted on Telegram news channel Mash that he was the beneficiary. “Now it’s no longer a secret”: He bought the system several years ago.
Helps Vladimir Putin out of a jam: multi-billionaire Arkadi Rotenberg
Rotenberg has known the Kremlin boss for decades. The 69-year-old businessman is considered one of the richest people in Russia. He is on a list of Russians who are sanctioned by the West in the wake of the war in eastern Ukraine.
There has long been speculation about who owns the property with the palace on the Black Sea in southern Russia. Putin had denied that the property belonged to him or his close relatives.
In the video, Rotenberg raves about the palace: “This is a gift from heaven. The place is beautiful.” When asked why he hadn’t spoken up earlier, he said: “There are already sanctions against me anyway.”
The unveiling video of the imprisoned Kremlin critic Alexej Navalny (left) was clicked 103 million times
The unveiling video was published by the imprisoned opposition activist Alexej Navalny and his anti-corruption foundation. It says that the opulent villa belongs to the Russian President. The video has already been viewed more than 103 million times on YouTube and put the Kremlin under massive pressure. According to Nawalny’s film, the property including the palace is almost 40 times the size of the Principality of Monaco and is said to have devoured the equivalent of more than 1.1 billion euros. According to Nawalnys, the ownership structure was deliberately veiled.
The toilet brushes in “Putin’s Palace” are said to have cost 700 euros each
The toilet brushes in “Putin’s Palace” are said to have cost 700 euros each
Toilet brushes as a symbol
The property includes an amphitheater, a church, vineyards, an ice hockey arena and a casino, as well as a so-called aquadisco. One detail, however, evidently made the followers of Nawalnys particularly angry: The luxurious toilet brushes worth around 700 euros each. Since Navalny’s revelations, toilet brushes have appeared again and again at protests in Moscow and other cities in Russia.
In addition to the imprisonment of Nawalny, the film was also one of the triggers for the mass protests last weekend. New demonstrations are planned for this Sunday in Russia.
uh / qu (dpa, rtr, afp)
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