“Putin last flew to Sochi seven months ago,” a source, described as “being familiar with Putin”, told Proekt. “He even broke a long-standing tradition of coming to Sochi to celebrate Alina’s birthday in May.”
Bocharov Ruchey was built by the Soviet Union as a summer residence for Kremlin leaders. Putin renovated it to suit his opulent “working-from-home” tastes. He likes to blend luxury accommodation where he can relax with family and friends, with heavy-set meeting rooms to host guests and offices with banks of telephones where he can remotely conduct his affairs.
Proekt said that during the Covid pandemic, Putin isolated himself at Bocharov Ruchey, enjoying the temperate Black Sea climate. He even had a copy of his office at his residence in Moscow built in the dacha to give the impression that he was in the Russian capital.
Putin is paranoid about being assassinated and has reduced his travel commitments since he invaded Ukraine in 2022. He prefers to travel by armoured train if possible and has cut air travel.
Another source, described as a” friend of Putin”, told Proekt that Kremlin officials had not been ordered to Bocharov Ruchey this year.
“They discuss it among themselves and are surprised that they have stopped being invited to meetings in Sochi,” he said.
Putin, who turned 72 years old on Monday, has several residences. These include his official residence on the outskirts of Moscow, a secret dacha in occupied Crimea and a holiday home in the Karelia region, near Finland.
One of Putin’s most opulent dachas lies further up the Black Sea coast from Sochi. Dubbed “Putin’s Palace”, this dacha was built in an ornate Italian fashion and includes a hookah bar and cinema.
In May, reports said that a dacha owned by Putin in the remote Altai region had burnt down.