From nationalization to private estates: how Putin and his entourage took over the Crimean coast

After the annexation of Crimea in 2014, a large-scale redistribution of property took place on the peninsula. The most valuable assets went to Russian elites, while some were controlled by structures associated with Vladimir Putin.

The journalists of Krym.Realii recorded the objects on the peninsula that are directly or indirectly associated with the head of the Russian state.

In fact, Crimea has become a kind of "prize" for the inner circle of the Russian government. Significant territories, particularly on the southern coast, have been transferred to the control of the state or Kremlin-affiliated entities.

As a result, entire stretches of coastline became inaccessible to local residents: the areas were fenced off with high fences, security was tightened, and access to the sea was limited or completely blocked. Thus, even those communities that lived nearby lost the ability to freely use the coastal zone.

One of the most illustrative examples was the situation in the village of Oliva near Yalta. After the occupation, this territory turned into a closed zone with enhanced security. It is here that the state dachas associated with Vladimir Putin are located.

Until 2014, these objects were under the jurisdiction of the State Administration of Ukraine, but after the annexation they were "nationalized" by the occupiers. Some of them, including a residence that was being built for former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych, were transferred to entities associated with businessman Yuriy Kovalchuk, a longtime Putin ally.

The area around these facilities is virtually isolated: the coast is closed not only physically - through fences and guards - but also informationally, as any activity there is classified.

According to local residents, even visual access to the sea from many points along the Yalta-Sevastopol highway has become impossible, as it is blocked by multi-meter high fences. People often call this territory "Putin's dacha," although the Russian president himself has not publicly confirmed that he has any real estate in Crimea.

Another high-profile object is the former state dacha "Wisteria" in Nizhnyaya Oreanda, which was previously used by Soviet and post-Soviet leaders, including Leonid Brezhnev. After the annexation of Crimea, it was also "nationalized" and sold at auction in 2019 for over a billion rubles. Formally, the buyer was a little-known company, but journalists found that it was backed by structures associated with the same bank.

This gave rise to the assumption that the property was actually purchased in the interests of the Russian president. It is noteworthy that back in the early 2000s, Putin had already tried to acquire this residence, but the deal was canceled by the Ukrainian authorities after political changes in the country.

In addition to individual residences, a wide network of sanatoriums, boarding houses and park complexes on the southern coast of Crimea came under the control of the Russian leadership.

These changes have repeatedly caused conflicts with local residents. For example, in Partenit, after the Aivazovskoye resort came under the control of the Russian authorities, access to the park and the sea became restricted or paid for. A similar situation arose in Gurzuf, where a large part of the village was fenced off by the territory of the Gurzuf sanatorium. Formally, this was explained as a security measure, but in fact, people lost access to public spaces they used to enjoy.

Also in Koktebel, the so-called reconstruction of the embankment has turned into a tool for restricting the rights of local residents.

Анна Бальчінос