Kremlin on Tuesday, denied critic Alexei Nalvany's allegations and said that these were old and untrue.
Alexei Navalny, who is Russian President Vladimir Putin's most-prominent critic, had claimed that an opulent palace belonged to the Russian leader. However, Kremlin on Tuesday, denied Nalvany's allegations and said that these were old and untrue. Nalvany was arrested over the weekend.
The allegations, which first surfaced in 2010 when a businessman wrote about them to then-President Dmitry Medvedev complaining of official graft, came as Navalny's supporters urge people to join nationwide protests on Saturday. The video, which has attracted more than 3 million views on YouTube, showed the palace contained a casino, theater, ornate Tsarist-style interiors and an underground ice rink.
Navalny and his anti-corruption foundation published what they said were previously unseen photographs and detailed 3-D visualizations based on floor plans of the lavish interior along with a paper trail they said proved the 100 billion-rouble ($1.36 billion) Black Sea palace ultimately belonged to Putin.
1. Casino
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Alexei Navalny claims 'Putin's palace' includes a casino fitted with a number of poker tables and chandeliers.
2. Touch of gold, everywhere
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Navalny's team were able to create 3D images of the interiors based on the floor plans, which this reading room, which features accents of gold throughout.
3. Arcade room
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3D images of the estate's interior allege that the property features an arcade room (pictured), a spa and a theatre inside the mansion, along with an underground ice rink and even vineyards in the grounds.
4. Theatre with red curtains and a golden ceiling
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Alexei Navalny has claimed a theatre - fitted with red curtains and a golden ceiling - is among a series of luxurious rooms.
5. The luxurious bathroom
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A artists' impression of a luxurious bathroom in Putin's palace.
(All photos from palace.nalvany.com)
6. Magnificent estate
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Navalny claims the estate, which also includes a church, is 39 times the size of Monaco.
