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
JD.com Launches €2.2 Billion Bid for German Electronics Retailer Ceconomy
Azerbaijan Proceeds with Plan to Legalise Casinos on Artificial Islands
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
Trump Steamrolls EU in Landmark Trade Win: US–EU Trade Deal Imposes 15% Tariff on European Imports
ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman says people share personal info with ChatGPT but don’t know chats can be used as court evidence in legal cases.
Intel Reports Revenue Beats but Sees 81% Rise in Losses
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
Tulsi Gabbard Unveils Evidence Alleging Political Manipulation of Intelligence During Trump Administration
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Trump Announces Coca-Cola to Shift to Cane Sugar in U.S. Production
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
Moonshot AI Unveils Kimi K2: A New Open-Source AI Model
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
EU Delays Retaliatory Tariffs Amid New U.S. Threats on Imports
Trump Proposes Supplying Arms to Ukraine Through NATO Allies
US Opens First Rare Earth Mine in Over 70 Years in Wyoming
Bitcoin Reaches New Milestone of $116,000
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
Western Europe Records Hottest June on Record
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
France Requests Airlines to Cut Flights at Paris Airports Amid Planned Air Traffic Controller Strike
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
×