Additional Resources

Sergey Kolesnikov. Russia, Honor, Freedom
Collage of views of Putin's palace

Private palace worth $ 1 billion. Built on the Black Sea coast for the personal use of Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.Funds for this palace had been received from the Russian oligarchs. This was told by Sergei Kolesnikov Russian President Dmitry Medvedev in his open letter of 21 December 2010, posted on the website www.CorruptionFreeRussia.com ( currently this site does not work ) and David Ignatius in an article in the newspaper "The Washington Post" 23 December 2010 (translation ).

According to Kolesnikov following facts confirm that the palace is decorated to a private person, in fact, intended for Putin:

  • building a palace "Spetsstroy Russia", Russia's largest state-owned company
  • the palace guard and supervise the construction by the Federal security service that provides protection only for senior government officials;
  • mountain road, high-voltage power lines, gas pipeline have been conducted to the palace from the state budget and state-owned companies;
  • the official owner of the palace - Nikolai Shamalov, which is one of the closest friends of Putin and money for the construction were obtained from the Russian oligarchs.

*This page and subpages were built based on Kolesnikov's own website. For navigational purposes the titles of many of the documents were translated into English; the content of the documents remain in Russian.

All of the following documents are provided in PDF format*

*Accessible versions are available upon request. (See Report an Accessibility Issue ).

Developments in the Story

Following the publication of an open letter to Medvedev, the story developed as follows:

December 23, 2010 a spokesman for Prime Minister of Russia, Dmitry Peskov, makes a formal statement to RIA Novosti news agency , that "Putin had and has no relation to this building."

December 29, 2010 the newspaper "Vedomosti" published an interview with Sergei Kolesnikov.

January 12, 2011 , "Novaya Gazeta" published an extensive interview with S. Kolesnikov, which describes the details of the "Project South".

January 18, 2011 photos were published on the Russian WikiLeaks website.

January 31, 2011 weekly economic magazine "Kommersant Money" published an article "The Mystery of the family fences", which describes the 26 state residences of the President and Prime Minister of Russia. At the request of the journal Russian Prosecutor General's Office on the investigation of the facts stated in an open letter Kolesnikov, received an official response that the prosecutor's office, "the grounds for inspection does not see."

February 1, 2011 interview with the chief editor of the magazine "Kommersant Money" Sergei Yakovlev on Radio Liberty .

February 7, 2011 Executive Officer President Vladimir Kozhin makes a statement in the "Interfax" that the Office of the President of the Russian Federation has no relation to the palace Putin "We did no construction there, didn't do and do not intend to".

February 11, 2011 activists of the "Environmental Watch on North Caucasus" and the journalist of "interlocutor" were arrested byofficers of the Federal Security Service in the palace grounds ( video with footage of detention).

February 12, 2011 the leader of the political party "Yabloko" Sergei Mitrokhin, made ​​a formal demand to release the journalist and ecologists, and demanded the return of their personal belongings.  
February 15, 2011 Mitrokhin wrote an open letter to the President of Russia.

Here is the full development of events.

February 14, 2011, "Novaya Gazeta" (№ 16) published an article by Roman Anina "Schlossplatz 740 thousand square meters," which lists the documents indicating not only to participate in the affairs of the Office of the construction of the palace, but also the fact that Vladimir Kojin personally signed these documents. Thus, the newspaper accuses B. Kozhina lie.

February 14, 2011 Press Secretary Office of the President of Russia Viktor Khrekov refused to comment on an article in "Novaya Gazeta".

February 15, 2011 The Communist Party of the Russian Federation has published a summary of recent events on your website.  

February 15, 2011 interview with the BBC correspondent of "Novaya Gazeta" R. Anina.

February 25, 2011 Kolesnikov provides the first video - interview RTVi.

28 February, 2011 - an article in the journal "Spark"by Natalia Radulova- "Great guy came to us in Gelendzhik." The article villagers Praskoveevka confirm repeated comings of Putin to control the building of the palace.

March 3, 2011 in the newspaper "Kommersant" number 37 (4578) published an article that N. Shamalov sold the palace entrepreneur Alexander Ponomarenko, who is a business partner even some close friends of Putin - brothers Rotenberg.Thus, the deal was made ​​between the friends of the Prime Minister. According to Kolesnikov's private transactions in order to conceal the real owner behind the screen of the Cyprus offshore company. 

March 6, 2011 interview Kolesnikov on Radio Liberty.

March 9, 2011 - D. Sands answers questions from the media.

April 1, 2011 - Article M.Trudolyubova in "Gazette" - "Those who no longer" own ".

April 20, 2011 - Interview V. Kozhina newspaper "Kommersant", where he recognizes the participation of the Office of the affairs of the construction of the palace.

June 23, 2011 - interview Kolesnikov magazine "Snob" (six months after the publication of the letter).

06-07 August 2011 - Vladimir Putin and Dmitry Medvedev rested in the Palace at Cape Idokopas.