FBK Investigation Details $125 Million Putin-Linked Palace on Crimea’s Cape Aya
Photo source: https://united24media.com/latest-news/inside-putins-alleged-new-palace-in-occupied-crimea-lavish-interiors-spa-and-private-hospital-14653
A new investigation by the Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK) alleges that a lavish seaside mansion on Cape Aya, on Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula, was built for Russian President Vladimir Putin at an estimated cost of 10 billion rubles, or about $125.8 million. The site, overlooking the Black Sea, was long shrouded in rumors and restricted access, but FBK says it has now documented the property’s ownership structure, financing, and design features, presenting it as another high-end residence linked to the Kremlin leader.
The land itself has a controversial history. Before Russia’s occupation of Crimea, Ukrainian media reported extensively on construction at Cape Aya, calling it “Yanukovych’s dacha.” The roughly 3.5-hectare plot was purchased in 2007 for $1.2 million by relatives of then–Ukrainian Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych, who later denied any personal connection to the project. After Russia annexed Crimea in 2014, local Russian-installed authorities announced plans to nationalize the property, initially suggesting it might be turned into a public resort.
Instead, according to journalists and the FBK, the unfinished estate was transferred to Russia’s Presidential Property Management Department and came under the control of companies linked to Putin’s longtime associates, including Yury and Boris Kovalchuk. The FBK argues that construction did not merely continue but expanded dramatically, stating that the earlier “Yanukovych’s dacha” is insignificant compared to what now stands on the site. The property reportedly operates under tight security and is inaccessible to the public.
The investigation claims that the palace is formally owned by Bereg LLC, a subsidiary of Golden Gate, whose legal representatives are connected to companies involved in the well-known “Putin palace” near Gelendzhik. Architectural plans published by the FBK specify that the interiors must meet the requirements of Russia’s Federal Protective Service. Design and construction were allegedly handled by Credo, a firm that the FBK says has worked on nearly all of Putin’s official and unofficial residences.
According to the documents and photographs cited in the report, the main building includes a vast reception hall with a 20-seat dining table, multiple oversized bedrooms with marble bathrooms, a private medical clinic, spa facilities with a pool and cryotherapy chamber, a cinema, billiards room, and wine cellar. A separate guest building with a rooftop garden overlooks the sea. The FBK states that financing came from businessman Vladimir Kolbin, the company Aratron, and Forstis, which is reportedly linked to Yury Kovalchuk, reinforcing the investigation’s claim that the Cape Aya complex is part of a broader network of elite assets tied to Russia’s president and his inner circle.
Author: Anna Kuznetsova
