The video footage, shared on Telegram by Russian journalist Pavel Zarubin and likely to be part of a longer broadcast scheduled to air on Russian TV later this month, shows a smiling president giving Zarubin and his camera crew a tour. “This is an apartment, yes. As you can see, it’s not far (from Putin’s Kremlin offices, ed.).”
As Putin turns to the camera, he invites his guests in. Then we see gilded walls, large mirrors with gold frames, gold chandeliers and exotic plants. A portrait of Russian Tsar Alexander III stands prominently on the table. A white grand piano stands by the window, although Putin admits with a heavy heart that he rarely has time for it. The apartment also has a library, two bedrooms and even a small 'home church'.
Putin also stated that he held formal negotiations with Chinese President Xi Jinping in this apartment (in March 2023). “We had a working lunch first, and then I invited the president, as a friend, to continue the talks here,” he said at the time. “We sat by the fireplace, drank tea and calmly talked about everything.”
There has been uncertainty for years about the properties the Russian president owns. Although he officially only owns a small apartment in St. Petersburg, it has been revealed in recent years that Putin does indeed own several very expensive accommodations. For example, he is said to be the owner (via front men) of a gigantic castle, a ski resort, several vineyards and country houses.
