Vladimir Putin’s lavish secret ski lodge that’s protected by missiles revealed

A Russian YouTube account says it has uncovered President Vladimir Putin’s sprawling secret ski lodge that’s protected by missiles.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is reported to have a sprawling secret ski lodge outside Sochi. Pictures: Mikhail Klimentyev/Sputnik/AFP;YouTube/Navalny Live

Russian President Vladimir Putin has a sprawling secret ski lodge outside the resort city of Sochi boasting a pickle pantry, a herbal sauna, a cryo-chamber and its own missile defence system, according to a report.

NavalnyLive, a YouTube channel run by supporters of jailed Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, posted a new video on Monday shedding light on what is purported to be Mr Putin’s luxury vacation complex on the Black Sea, New York Post reports.

According to the report, a property located not far from the village of Krasnaya Polyana, which is officially owned by the Russian state-run energy giant Gazprom, is actually Mr Putin’s top-secret ski retreat nested high in the Caucasus Mountains.

Mr Putin is reported to have a secret ski lodge near Sochi. Picture: Sergei Chirikov/AFP

It is said to be protected by missiles. Picture: Mikhail Klimentyev/Sputnik/AFP

NavalnyLive reported that the presidential hideaway is protected by a Pantsir-S1 surface-to-air missile system, which was photographed positioned in a meadow overlooking the snow-capped peaks less than a mile away.

The organisation used geolocation to catch a glimpse of the compound, which is comprised of two sprawling homes, guesthouses for personnel, a helipad and a private ski lift sitting on around 20ha of land.

According to the video, Mr Putin’s extravagant chalet was built around the time of the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics.

Formally, it is known as the Welcome Residence for Official Guests ‘Achipse’ – named after a nearby 8th century fortress.

Satellite images purport to show the secret ski retreat. Picture: YouTube/Navalny Live

It is reportedly protected by this missile system. Picture: YouTube/Navalny Live

Mr Navalny’s supporters have obtained what they claimed to be the blueprints for Mr Putin’s property, revealing that it is a 3810sq m, four-storey building, with two of the floors located underground.

The sub-basement level is occupied by a series of storage rooms and various food preparation stations, including egg and vegetable processing rooms, separate walk-in refrigerators for meat and fish, areas for preparing hot and cold food, milk storage and a pantry for pickles.

The basement level is home to a “huge” spa, complete with a pool, salt and steam rooms, and Finnish-style and herbal saunas.

But that’s not all: There is also a hydro-massage bath, a series of small hot and cold plunge pools, and a cryo-chamber, which is said to be Mr Putin’s must-have.

The basement features a massive spa complex, complete with a pool, multiple saunas and a cryo-chamber. Picture: YouTube/Navalny Live

The first above-ground floor houses a room for the Russian leader’s personal assistant, a spacious dining room, and “his” and “hers” master bedrooms.

The larger of the two suites, possibly Mr Putin’s, comes with an office.

The area in red on the right is believed to be Vladimir Putin’s master suite with an office. Picture: YouTube/Navalny Live

A separate building on the property is designated as a kitchen reserved for the Federal Protection Service, which has the unenviable task of ensuring Mr Putin’s safety at all times.

The Russian President has reportedly grown increasingly concerned with his safety, leading him to construct enormous nuclear bunkers and ditch his presidential plane in favour of an armoured train.

The report stated that after the Winter Olympics, a second, even larger home was constructed for the President just 120m away from the first.

Putin, 70, was last seen skiing in Sochi with Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko, left, in February 2021. Picture: Alexei Druzhinin/Sputnik/AFP

News of the new house, dubbed “Putin’s Winter Palace”, was first reported by independent journalists in 2021.

The 8360sq m estate reportedly boasts a custom-made “Nicholas II” grand piano made in Germany carrying a price tag of around $US76,000 ($A112,000).

The contents of the well-appointed residence also include a $US1800 ($A2650) goose down blanket, $US6700 ($A9870) Swarovski crystal-encrusted sconces ordered from the US, and a similarly priced mantle clock.

Mr Putin, 70, was last seen hitting the slopes in Sochi with his staunch ally, President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko, in February 2021, a year before the Putin-led invasion into Ukraine.

This article originally appeared on New York Post and was reproduced with permission