The Russian opposition media has published a drone video of the modern villas built for President Vladimir Putin, located only 30 kilometers from the Finnish border.
Mika Mäkeläinen,
Elsa Osipova
Russian opposition media Dossier Center has acquired drone footage of luxurious villas, which the media say were built by the president Vladimir Putin for. The modern buildings are located on the shore of Laatoka, only about 30 kilometers from the eastern border of Finland.
Dossier Center is about a businessman living in exile Mikhail Khodorkovsky a project that uses investigative journalism to trace and document the abuses of the Russian leadership. The video has also been released by Khodorkovsky On the YouTube channel.
The Dossier Center’s videos show three buildings intended for villa use, known by very modest names: Barn, Fisherman’s House and Garden House. The names come from the documents of the architect, the construction company and the authorities.
The buildings are located on the shores of the rugged and fjord-like Marjalahti in the northeast of the city of Lahdenpohja in the ceded Karelia.
Behind the “barn” in Marjalahti pohjuka, there is, among other things, a helicopter field and an open gazebo with a good view of the waterfall.
The villa complex consisting of three buildings is located deep in the forest on the shore of Laatoka.
Previously, there were two buildings in the area. They were hidden under the grass and the helipad. Now a new building has appeared in the area.
The two-story “barn” has large entertainment spaces, a dining hall of over 200 square meters and a top-equipped kitchen.
In the warehouse, you can also find Austrian brewing supplies for 300,000 euros.
According to media claims, Putin’s “modest” summer house has Fior di Bosco marble for more than 100,000 euros, the toilets have 10,000 euro bidets and 4,000 euro shower heads.
Officially, the villas cover an area of about one square kilometer, but according to the Dossier Center, in practice, the area closed to the public is about four square kilometers in size.
During the war, a raised field appeared behind the villa
The media has shown pictures of Marjalahti’s buildings before, but from the air filmed video shows them in more detail than before.
In addition, the video reveals the change that has taken place during the war in Ukraine. An elevated grass-covered field has appeared next to the helipad behind the barn, which, according to the Dossier Center, may be related to air defense.
According to the Dossier Center, there is possibly a Pantsir S1-type anti-aircraft system in the area, which, according to the Dossier, has been used to protect Putin’s other residential buildings in various parts of Russia since Russia’s full-scale attack on Ukraine began just under two years ago.
According to the Dossier Center, local residents say that Putin visits Marjalahti’s villas at least once a year. In the same context, he is said to visit the monastery island of Valamo, which is located 30 kilometers away by boat.
When Putin goes to the monastery by boat, according to the Dossier Center, the islands near the Marjalahti villas are closed, and the area is monitored by the FSO, which protects the state leadership.
According to Putin, it is not about his villas
Official documents show no connection between the villas and the president. of The Guardian according to Putin has denied that he is the real beneficiary of the villa complex.
According to the Dossier, the villa area includes, among other things, a cattle farm, a fish farming facility and its own brewery. The construction of the villas started more than ten years ago. According to the Dossier, Putin is behind the construction companies belonging to a close circle banker Yuri Kovalchuk.
The sauna building built over the water at the end of the pier also stands out in the satellite images, which is slightly separated from the other villas on the shore of Lake Kaipiolammi.
Yachts named Aldoga and Nega have been seen at the piers of the villas, which are said to be used by Putin if needed. The ships are possibly named after the large lakes in the area, Laatoka (Ladoga) and Ääninen (Onego).
According to the Dossier Center, the Marjalahti area was supposed to be part of the Laatoka islets national park, but the villa area was separated from the protected area.
The dossier also revealed that around 2020, Putin had an oligarch as his neighbor Roman Abramovichwhose villa is located four kilometers from the Marjalahti villas.
Helsingin Sanomat supplier Jussi Konttinen was able to photograph the buildings of Marjalahti during the construction phase in 2015.
Putin may be the richest man in the world. See in the video what his allegedly “royal” palaces and luxurious yachts are like.