Anti-corruption activists have released hundreds of photos of what they claim is the $1.4 billion (£1bn) mega-mansion Vladimir Putin has been covertly building on the Black Sea coast. Ridiculously opulent, the magnificent residence is fit for a tsar, never mind a president, and boasts jaw-dropping amenities you won't believe, like an underground ice rink, 'aqua-disco' and even a louche lap-dancing lounge. Click or scroll through for a tour of the OTT pad.

Putin could certainly afford such a sumptuous place if the rumours surrounding his actual net worth are to be believed. Despite pulling in a relatively modest annual income of $135,000 (£100k), Russia's president is reputed to be worth up to $200 billion (£148bn), which would make him the second-richest person on the planet. And there's even a chance he could be the wealthiest.

Speculation is rife as to how the former KGB agent managed to acquire such a vast fortune. A Forbes investigation put forward suggestions ranging from outright theft and extortion to kickbacks and funnelling state funds into his private coffers (or a combo of all of the above). Reports of Putin's lavish lifestyle – completely at odds with his official salary which is disclosed by the Kremlin every year – have been pouring out of Russia for years.

News of the massive Black Sea property was first leaked in 2010 in an open letter to the then-President of Russia Dmitriy Medvedev. Two years later, a probe by Putin opponents revealed the country's leader had the run of 20 palaces, with 58 aircraft at his disposal, including a jet that was fitted out by a high-end jewellery firm for $18 million (£13m). The investigation also spilled the beans on the president's flotilla of luxury yachts, one of which, a five-storey marvel with a jacuzzi and marble and mahogany-clad cabin, is said to cost $50 million (£37m) a year to maintain.

Allies of Putin's nemesis, the jailed opposition leader and anti-corruption activist Alexei Navalny, revealed details of the seaside palace in a documentary in January 2021 and mocked up images of the interiors, recently releasing the cache of 479 photos to back up their allegations. They assert the property is the most expensive palace in the world and that it was funded by the largest bribe in history. 

Nestled in lush gardens near the resort town of Gelendzhik on the picturesque Black Sea coast, the palace sits in an estate 39 times the size of Monaco. Construction of the mega-mansion started in 2005 and is ongoing: mould problems are said to have plagued the project and the palace is being completely rebuilt, having already been reconstructed several times, according to the BBC.

Designed by Italy's Lanfranco Cirillo, the go-to architect for Russia's elite, the Italianate-style palace spans a whopping 190,000 square feet, making it more than three times bigger than the White House. While it's said to have just 11 bedrooms, the property has scores of rooms besides. Let's take a look inside.

We begin our tour in the ornate reading room. Interestingly, it appears to be inspired by the Kremlin's Georgievsky Hall, the fortress' grandest state room. These pics were actually taken a decade ago. More recent images featured on Russian TV show the interiors have since been stripped, presumably to deal with the recurrent mould infestation. 

Exquisite golf leaf detailing abounds in the splendid high-ceilinged space, while polished marble flooring and classical-style frescos bolster the room's luxuriousness. The beautifully carved wooden fireplace surround is similarly opulent, while the built-in cabinetry looks like it was transplanted from the Palace of Versailles. 

The flashiness extends to this dining room, which is also decorated with plenty of gold leaf. The ostentatious furniture is Louis XIV style, the president's favourite, and as the Navalny activists point out, the tables and chairs are arranged in a P formation, which is the layout Putin prefers for his banquets in Moscow. Shockingly, a single chair retails for $10,300 (£7.7k) alone.

Next up is Putin's alleged master suite, which is more of a master wing, given its vast size. The space comprises this swish living room, together with the master bedroom or boudoir, lounge, walk-in-wardrobe and capacious master bathroom. Note the expensive marquetry flooring and plush velvet sofas.

The master bedroom, which Navalny's team call the boudoir, is, as you'd expect, suitably showy, with its rococo-esque gilded ceiling and wall panels, gold leaf-covered sideboards and regal four-poster bed draped in the finest silks. Together with the rest of the decor, they no doubt cost a pretty penny.

Moving on, the lounge – which might have been designed as a dressing room or simply as a place to kick back and relax – is equally extravagant, with copious gold leaf and Louis XIV-style furniture. The star of this room has got to be the dramatic gold chandelier, though the ceiling is ravishing, too.

A master bathroom designed for a strongman president – allegedly, of course – was never going to be a modest affair, and as you can see from this shot, no expense has been spared on the space. Taking pride of place in the room is a marble-columned spa bath, and there's also an enormous walk-in shower.

The indoor pool is next. One of the highlights of the palace, it wows with wall-to-wall marble, imposing columns and mega-expensive tiling. The activists actually underestimated the sumptuousness of this space in their computer-generated mock-ups. The reality is quite a lot posher than they'd envisaged.

The space's most impressive features are its fabulous walls and ceiling. Adorned with gorgeous plasterwork that includes a bas-relief sculpture of the god Poseidon and Grecian-style busts (as well as delicately painted details and a colonnade), they really are something special and, like the palace's other star attractions, wouldn't have been cheap to create.

Giving the pool a run for its money in the luxe stakes is the palace's theatre. A vision in intricately carved wood, which has been gilded to within an inch of its life, the space is decked out with a stage, lower seating area and balconies, each of which houses an imperial box for the VIPs in attendance. 

The hookah lounge and lap-dancing club is next. Yes, the palace does indeed boast its very own strip joint. The exotically decorated space is loaded with comfy sofas and dotted with silk and velvet cushions, artfully arranged around the focal point of the entire place, which is, of course, the lap-dancing pole.

Just as much care, attention and hard cash has been lavished upon this room, with the custom wood panelling that clads the entire space exceptionally well-crafted. The mirrored ceiling adds a rather raunchy touch, and there are mirrors placed at regular intervals around the room.

The second master suite is up next – clearly, one isn't enough for the luxury-loving owner. Located at the opposite side of the luxury home to Putin's supposed suite, the space rivals it in splendour. The Navalny activists have revealed the cost of the furnishings in the rooms after identifying individual pieces in the palace plans (which they were able to obtain surreptitiously) and researching the prices.

The bed, for instance, retails for $16,400 (£12.3k), while the dresser pictured to the left of this photo is priced at $19,700 (£14.7k). Another super-expensive piece, the white hidden-lift TV cabinet, was in all likelihood made especially for the space, since this kind of cabinetry tends to be bespoke.

The gilded chaise lounge, upholstered in purple velvet, offers a flamboyant touch and graces one of the corners of the room, where it rests in front of a crystal floor lamp. Again, the owner didn't scrimp on this decadent furniture piece, which is available to purchase from the manufacturer for a hefty $10,600 (£7.9k).

Next up is this handsome meeting room. Needless to say, the Kremlin denies the palace has anything to do with Putin and dismisses the activists' claim as 'pure nonsense'. Even the president himself has attacked the allegations during a video conference to students in January 2021, calling the Navalny investigation “boring” and a “compilation and a montage”.

Billionaire oligarch Alexander Ponomarenko has claimed to be the long-time owner, and another billionaire oligarch, Arkady Rotenberg, is said to currently hold the deeds. Both men are close to Putin, especially Rotenberg, who is a childhood friend of the president and was once his judo sparring partner. Passing through this panelled hallway, you come to the office.

Looking very much like a place a president could run a country from, the roomy office is furnished with a monster T-shaped desk, which a leader and their advisors could huddle around to their hearts' content. The room also has a fine marble fireplace and abundant gilded decoration, with the double-headed eagle, the emblem of Russia, one of the key motifs. In fact, the eagle emblem features throughout the palace.

The room also contains what the Navalny activists call the most elaborate set of furniture in the whole palace: a collection of blingy gold sofas and chairs, which are very much in keeping with Putin's beloved Louis XIV style and definitely look like they belong in a spectacular stately home.

Stepping outside, we find what is called in the plans the "aqua-disco". When details of the amenity were first released, it inspired a meme and protest anthem, which is hardly surprising given the aqua-disco is one of the property's more frivolous features. Politics aside, it does look like a lot of fun, as it's basically a sunken dance floor with a fountain in the middle.

The eye-popping amenities don't stop there. According to the Navalny activists, a huge ice hockey rink and sports complex lie beneath this mound in the grounds of the palace. To the left of the photo you can make out the property's helipads, and there's also a checkpoint and even a no-fly zone imposed above the estate.

Right next to the subterranean rink and helipads is a Byzantine-style Russian Orthodox church, which, thanks to its traditional design, looks like it's been there for many centuries. But like the palace itself and other buildings on the estate, the private place of worship is a new-build construction. 

At one point, there was even said to have been a marble gym on the property, but it was demolished for reasons unknown. Intriguingly, the people behind the construction have been careful to camouflage the site during building work, preventing prying eyes from glimpsing the palace's other knockout amenities, such as this building, which houses a private food court with several restaurants, a bar, cinema and games room. 

Among the palace's other amenities are its vineyards and winery. Last year, the property's purported owner Arkady Rotenberg said it was being converted into an aparthotel, but Navalny and his supporters continue to insist the estate has always been Putin's. Meanwhile, Navalny is languishing in jail, having survived two assassination attempts, and was recently declared a terrorist by the Russian authorities.

Loved this? Follow us on Facebook to see more secret properties of the rich and famous