Bali police shut down notorious ‘Russian Village’ over planning violations

Parq Ubud’s closure marks what some critics hope will be the start of a concerted pushback against a perceived “annexation” of parts of the Indonesian island by Russian developers catering to those fleeing the Ukraine war on their borders and conscription at home.

Foreign tourists relax on the Kuta Beach near Denpasar on Indonesia's resort island of Bali on November 18, 2023. (Photo by SONNY TUMBELAKA / AFP)

Balinese authorities have closed down a foreigner enclave in the popular mountain village of Ubud, marking the first major pushback against what some critics claim amounts to an “annexation” of parts of the tourism island by Russians fleeing Ukraine war on their borders and conscription at home.

Dozens of Bali police were deployed on Monday to Parq Ubud, a complex comprising accommodation, bars, wellness centre and co-working spaces, after owners ignored multiple requests to comply with local permit regulations and development restrictions.

Video footage of local workers scuffling with police at the complex, known colloquially as Kampung Russia because of its wide appeal among Russian tourists and expats, has since gone viral on social media, attracting thousands of comments expressing gleeful schadenfreude at its downfall.

“The best news I’ve heard all year,” wrote one. “Now they need to put a stop to the massive development … destroying Uluwatu.”

“Finally a good decision. Bali needs protection not greed,” commented another.

Bali Tourism Agency chief Tjok Bagus Pemayun told The Australian authorities had no choice but to close Parq Ubud because it violated planning regulations, which includes the protection of rice paddy terraces now rapidly disappearing under rampant development, even as the compound marketed itself as being in harmony with Bali’s natural and built environment.

Similar closure orders in November appear to have gone unheeded.

“They need to follow local regulations. Even the “dos and don’ts” guidelines must be fully implemented, like respecting the local culture, and so on,” Mr Pemayun said, alluding to local frustration at a perceived lack of respect among foreign tourists.

“Whoever the owner is, they must follow the regulations. Whether it’s a local or a foreigner.”

Parq Ubud is one of a growing number of self-contained “cities” sprouting across Bali that offer loopholes for foreigners wanting to invest in the island but prohibited from owning land under local law.

Indonesian Hotel and Restaurant Association spokesman Rai Suryawijaya said Russians were investing in ever larger numbers in Bali “due to the less productive situation in their own country” and what they perceived as a more permissive and weakly-regulated investment climate.

“That’s why so many of these Russian villages and similar developments are happening. Moving forward, we need to be cautious,” he added.

Last August, Russia’s new ambassador to Jakarta was forced to defend his fellow citizens in Bali, insisting they were no more badly behaved than any other foreign tourist cohort.

“I don’t believe the people accusing Russian tourists of being the worst among foreign visitors who don’t obey local laws and customs in Bali,” Sergei Tolchenov said, noting less than 45,000 Russian citizens lived in or visited the island. “I’m sure it’s not only Russians who commit crimes.”

Additional reporting: Dian Septiari and Miftachul Chusna