Inside Putin's 'Secret Country House' on NATO's Doorstep

Vladimir Putin has built a secret luxury mansion boasting marble floors and a private waterfall in northwestern Russia's republic of Karelia, approximately 30 kilometers (9 miles) from the border with NATO-member Finland, according to an investigative site.

The Dossier Center, a project launched by Russian opposition figure Mikhail Khodorkovsky, published drone footage on Monday which it said was filmed on the shore of Marjalahti Bay in Karelia. It said the Russian leader has "three modern-style houses, two helipads, several yacht piers, a trout farm, and a farm with cows for marbled beef production."

"Filming here is prohibited, but the Dossier Center received the most detailed video ever filmed in Vladimir Putin's residences," the investigative site said. Newsweek could not verify the authenticity of the Dossier Center's report and has contacted Russia's Foreign Ministry for comment by email.

The residence, which Putin reportedly frequents at least once a year, consists of three main buildings which are named the "Fisherman's Hut," the "Barn," and the "Garden House."

The Dossier Center notes that while local journalists learned about the residence in 2016, almost no one has seen it up close. "We obtained detailed video recordings from a source," said Dossier Center journalist Ilya Rozhdestvensky.

"Vladimir Putin loves the Russian North. He is not bothered even by the proximity to 'unfriendly' Finland, just 30 kilometers from its border," said Rozhdestvensky, who noted that construction for the complex began over 10 years ago.

"According to documents, the residence area is about a square kilometer, but considering that you can't just wander into the surrounding forests and bays, the territory is about four square kilometers—twice the size of Monaco," he said.

Rozhdestvensky said the "Barn" looks more like a reception house, and that it features a living room, a private brewery, and has a tea room on the second floor. The building has a pool or a fountain, a separate underground entrance, a helipad, and a yacht pier, as well as a gazebo opposite the waterfall, he said.

The "Fisherman's Hut" and the "Garden House" also have their own helipad and pier, and semi-precious stones such as green onyx are used in their interiors.

Nearby, said Rozhdestvensky, there is a water sauna, a trout farm, a farm for marbled beef production, and a secluded gazebo with "a breathtaking view of the lake."

"Here the president can enjoy the nature in complete solitude," he said.

According to the Dossier Center, a square-shaped embankment that appeared on the grounds of the residence recently, and markings on the ground could suggest that Putin deploys an anti-aircraft system there.

"This is not the first time Putin's residences have been protected from the air: all main residences of Putin have been covered by the Pantsir-S1 anti-aircraft missile systems since the beginning of the war," said Rozhdestvensky.

Putin's other residences include his Novo-Ogaryovo estate in Moscow and a summer home in Sochi called Bocharov Ruchey.

The Kremlin has previously denied that Putin is linked to the residence in Karelia.

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