Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Leaked plans reveal Putin's secret bunker beneath £1 billion Black Sea palace

Leaked plans reveal Putin's secret bunker beneath £1 billion Black Sea palace

Leaked blueprints have revealed a bunker hidden deep underneath Vladimir Putin’s £1 billion mansion overlooking the Black Sea.

Gelendzhik Palace has its own church, casino, fully-equipped gym, ice hockey rink and ‘entertainment room’ – complete with stripper poles.

The sprawling 190,000-square-foot complex is sealed off from the rest of Russia by 17,000 acres of woodland guarded by the FSB security services as well as special no-fly and no-boat zones.

But just when you thought the designers had ticked every box, they appear to have neglected one very big one – hide the plans showing the secret tunnels underneath.

The schematics were posted online a decade ago and remained accessible until 2016, having been originally published by contractors Metro Style to showcase their work.

They reveal an underground complex consisting of two separate blast-proof tunnels connected by an elevator which descends roughly 50 metres below the surface.

Vladimir Putin chairs a cabinet meeting via videoconference at Kremlin in Moscow

The plans reveal two tunnels roughly 50m underground

They show three tunnel entrances

According to the plans, each is encased in thick concrete and supplied with plenty of fresh water, ventilation and cables

Experts believe the plans are 'intended for someone to survive or escape'


According to the plans, each is encased in thick concrete and supplied with plenty of fresh water, ventilation and cables to support VIPs for up to weeks at a time.

Structural engineer Thaddeus Gabryszewski said they have ‘all kinds of safety and security’, suggesting they are ‘intended for someone to survive or escape’.

The precautions may be more than paranoia on Putin’s part – earlier this month Russia claimed he had been targeted in an attempted assassination following an alleged drone attack on the Kremlin.

Michael C Kimmage, a former US State Department official and Cold War expert, told Insider: ‘Putin has a lot of anxiety about being the not-entirely-legitimate leader of Russia.

‘So knowing that his legitimacy is not entirely secured by elections, he is going to seek to maximize his personal safety through a complex of well-defended personal residences."

The plans, which were uncovered by jailed Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation, show the tunnels measure approximately 40 and 60 meters long, respectively, and six metres wide - creating more than 6,000 sq ft of potential living space

The complex is surrounded by acres of guarded woodland

A hatch visible in drone footage


They dubbed one the ‘tasting room’ amid reports it contains full living quarters where Putin and his cronies could take in the views while remaining safe.

It stated: ‘It is a huge window that offers the best possible sea view.

‘Here you can enjoy a glass of wine... this is not some kind of balcony where you are constantly in danger, but a very safe underground place where nothing threatens you.’

The second passageway is thought to be the preferred mode of escape, leading to a hatch on the coastline visible in drone footage captured by the group.

Mr Kimmage told Insider the location of the bunker – some 1,000 miles away from Moscow – suggests Putin is not merely intending on constructing a plush getaway, but a bolthole.

He said: ‘The two times there has been a big transition in Russian history — 1917 and 1991 — the status of the capital city and the leader's position there has been a big issue.

‘Putin is solving for that contingency by establishing a network of residences that are as far from the centre as possible. So a tunnel system within the Black Sea complex makes a lot of sense.

‘Even without an active threat, he's going to be worrying about this eventuality.’

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Munich Airport Reopens After Second Drone Shutdown
Pro Europe and Anti-War Babiš Poised to Return to Power After Czech Parliamentary Vote
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Sentenced to Fifty Months in Prison Following Prostitution Conviction
Altman Says GPT-5 Already Outpaces Him, Warns AI Could Automate 40% of Work
Russian Research Vessel 'Yantar' Tracked Mapping Europe’s Subsea Cables, Raising Security Alarms
Global Cruise Industry Posts Dramatic Comeback with 34.6 Million Passengers in 2024
U.S. Demands Brussels Scrutinize Digital Rules to Prevent Bias Against American Tech
Private Equity’s Fundraising Surge Triggers Concern of European Market Shake-Out
Tokyo’s Jimbōchō Named World’s Coolest Neighbourhood for 2025
European Officials Fear Trump May Shift Blame for Ukraine War onto EU
The Personality Rights Challenge in India’s AI Era
Italy Considers Freezing Retirement Age at 67 to Avert Scheduled Hike
Italian City to Impose Tax on Visiting Dogs Starting in 2026
Study Finds No Safe Level of Alcohol for Dementia Risk
Trump Says Ukraine Can Fully Restore Borders with NATO Backing
Europe Signals Stronger Support for Taiwan at Major Taipei Defence Show
Germany Weighs Excluding France from Key European Fighter Jet Programme
Cyberattack Disrupts Check-in and Boarding Systems at Major European Airports
Björn Borg Breaks Silence: Memoir Reveals Addiction, Shame and Cancer Battle
When Extremism Hijacks Idealism: How the Baader-Meinhof Gang Emerged and Fell
JWST Data Brings TRAPPIST-1e Closer to Earth-Like Habitability
Trump Orders $100,000 Fee on H-1B Visas and Launches ‘Gold Card’ Immigration Pathway
France’s Looming Budget Crisis and Political Fracture Raise Fears of Becoming Europe’s “Sick Man”
Three Russian MiG-31 Jets Breach Estonian Airspace in ‘Unprecedentedly Brazen’ NATO Incident
European manufacturers against ban on polluting cars: "The industry may collapse"
Turkish car manufacturer Togg Enters German Market with 5-Star Electric Sedan and SUV to Challenge European EV Brands
Christian Brueckner Released from German Prison after Serving Unrelated Sentence
World’s Longest Direct Flight China Eastern to Launch 29-Hour Shanghai–Buenos Aires Direct Flight via Auckland in December
New OpenAI Study Finds Majority of ChatGPT Use Is Personal, Not Professional
The conservative right spreads westward: a huge achievement for 'Alternative for Germany' in local elections
Pope Leo Warns of Societal Crisis Over Mega-CEO Pay, Citing Tesla’s Proposed Trillion-Dollar Package
Poland Green-Lights NATO Deployment in Response to Major Russian Drone Incursion
U.S. and China Agree on Framework to Shift TikTok to American Ownership
Le Pen Tightens the Pressure on Macron as France Edges Toward Political Breakdown
Czech Republic signs €1.34 billion contract for Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks with delivery from 2028
Penske Media Sues Google Over “AI Overviews,” Claiming It Uses Journalism Without Consent and Destroys Traffic
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
One in Three Europeans Now Uses TikTok, According to the Chinese Tech Giant
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
NATO Deploys ‘Eastern Sentry’ After Russian Drones Violate Polish Airspace
The New Life of Novak Djokovic
German police raid AfD lawmaker’s offices in inquiry over Chinese payments
Volkswagen launches aggressive strategy to fend off Chinese challenge in Europe’s EV market
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
Poland Shoots Down Russian Drones in Airspace Violation During Ukraine Attack
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Macron Appoints Sébastien Lecornu as Prime Minister Amid Budget Crisis and Political Turmoil
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air, Apple Watch 11 and More at 'Awe Dropping' Event
France joins Eurozone’s ‘periphery’ as turmoil deepens, say investors
×