The huge house is furnished with expensive antiques and bespoke designer furniture, huge swathes of marble and gold leaf, and the very latest tech, security and entertainment systems. The grounds are also enormous—the palace sits in an estate 39 times the size of Monaco. Despite the huge cost, building work is still ongoing, with vast sections under reconstruction due to mold damage. Indeed, for all its opulent features, Putin is said to spend very little time at the palace, operating primarily from his Novo-Ogaryevo residence on the outskirts of Moscow.

The Palace That Putin Built for OVER $1bn: World’s Grandest Political Pads