29 October 2026, 16:41
People in Crimea have risen up against Putin's friend's project
Ця стаття також доступна українською
PHOTO: Radio Liberty
Residents of occupied Yalta have spoken out against the construction of a gambling zone with casinos and hotels on the territory of the seaport. The project is linked to businessman Arkady Rotenberg, who is considered a friend of Vladimir Putin.
According to Krym.Realii, residents recorded a video appeal to the Kremlin leader demanding that the construction be halted and the historic area preserved.
Work has begun at the Yalta seaport to develop infrastructure for the future gambling zone. Initially, it was planned to be developed in the village of Katsiveli, but the Russian authorities later moved the project to the port. By 2029, an entertainment complex featuring a casino and hotels is to be built there. The occupying authorities emphasize that the project is being implemented on Putin’s orders.
In 2025, the Moscow-based company “Black Sea Development” acquired 100% of the shares in JSC “Yalta Seaport” for 1.4 billion rubles. It was the sole bidder in the auction. The company is linked to Rotenberg, though he has not publicly acknowledged any involvement in the project.
In early October, heavy equipment began demolishing the seaport’s historic building. A group of activists recorded a video appeal to Putin. They are asking him to halt the project and return the territory to federal ownership.
“A casino on a site of remembrance and mourning is not just blasphemy; it directly contradicts your decree on traditional Russian spiritual and moral values,” the authors of the appeal state.
Irina Alekseeva, a former member of the Yalta City Council, also spoke out against the gambling zone. In her opinion, the port building is part of the cultural heritage and must therefore be preserved. Businesswoman Nadezhda Obukhova called for a review of the law on the fifth gambling zone in Russia.
Svetlana Shevchenko, acting head of the Russian administration in Yalta, noted that the project is being implemented on Putin’s orders.
She did not specify whether the approach to the project would be revised. There has been no public response from Putin to the appeal. Previously, most similar appeals from Crimeans to him went unanswered.
