A brand new investigation by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s Sistema challenge alleges that Russian President Vladimir Putin has been working from a number of duplicate places of work constructed to look an identical — permitting the Kremlin to obscure his actual location throughout public appearances.
Three matching places of work recognized
In response to the report, Putin has been filmed in a minimum of three almost an identical places of work situated in:
Novo-Ogaryovo close to Moscow
Sochi, on the Black Coastline
Valdai, roughly 250 miles northwest of Moscow
All three rooms reportedly share the identical beige inside, an identical furnishings, and the Russian flag positioned behind Putin’s desk.
700+ Kremlin movies analyzed
Investigators based on the report analyzed greater than 700 Kremlin-released movies and located that a number of appearances described as happening at Novo-Ogaryovo have been really filmed at Valdai. Researchers recognized refined however constant particulars — similar to thermostat designs, door-handle placements, and wall patterns — that exposed the true filming areas.
State TV leaks corroborate findings
The report acknowledged leaked itineraries from Russian state tv crews additional supported the claims. Crew journey logs confirmed journeys to Sochi and Valdai on days when Kremlin captions acknowledged that Putin was “close to Moscow.”
Timeline of duplicate workplace building
The report outlines how the replicas have been created over a number of years:
2015 — Unique Novo-Ogaryovo workplace documented
2018 — Valdai duplicate reportedly accomplished
2020 — Sochi duplicate added
The an identical units, investigators say, allow the Kremlin to keep up the phantasm of a single, constant workspace for the president.
Phantasm of stability
Sistema concludes that the duplicated places of work present the Kremlin with a software to masks Putin’s location for safety, secrecy, or political optics, making a notion of stability whether or not he’s at his official residence, the Black Sea retreat, or the secluded Valdai compound.
