Dolgiye Borody (residence)

Dolgiye Borody
Interactive map of the Dolgiye Borody area
General information
StatusIn use
TypePresidential residence
LocationDolgiye Borody, Novgorod Oblast, Russia
Coordinates58°0′40″N 33°19′0″E / 58.01111°N 33.31667°E / 58.01111; 33.31667
Construction started1934
Completed1939

Dolgiye Borody (Russian: Долгие Бороды or Long Beards), also known by the names "Valdai" and "Uzhin", is a residence of the president of the Russian Federation, located in the Novgorod Oblast. It is on the southern 100 hectares (250 acres) of a peninsula between Lake Uzhin and Lake Valdai, near the village of Dolgiye Borody,[1] and 20 kilometers from the city of Valdai.[2]

Buildings

There is a neighboring rural village that is also called Dolgiye Borody. The official name of the residence is the "Uzhin" holiday home, named after the lake.[2]

History

In 1934, construction of Object 201 (as the official documents called this residence) began for Stalin. However, Stalin was only here once in 1939 as he disliked the remoteness and quietness of the surroundings.[2] In 1940, three buildings were constructed on the shores of Lake Uzhin: "Dacha No. 1" and "Dacha No. 2" were connected to a single complex, while the building for the protection of "Dacha No. 3" is closer to the village of Dolgiye Borody. Architecturally, the dachas were similar to Stalin's dacha in Volyn.

During most of the Soviet era, the 'sanatorium' (resort) of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union was located within the present boundary of the residence. In August 1948, Andrei Zhdanov died here while on vacation. His son Yuri and Stalin's daughter Svetlana Alliluyeva were married here. The residence was used for vacations by Nikita Khrushchev, Nikolai Ryzhkov and other Soviet officials. In the 1980s the residence was expanded and a 400-bed complex was built.[3]

Boris Yeltsin, president of Russia from 1991 to 1999, liked it for the fishing and used to visit for at least two or three days twice a year.[2][3] Alexander Korzhakov, Yeltsin's head of security, judged the presence of the Kosmos pioneer camp and the Azure Coast (Russian: Лазурный берег) resort next to the residence to be a security risk. A concrete wall was erected beyond those buildings in 1992, expanding the property of the residence, and the camp and resort were demolished.[2] Vladimir Putin has been visiting the residence since 2000.[2] The 100 hectares where the residence is located is owned by Putin's close friend Yury Kovalchuk, who leases it to the state. An adjacent 150 hectares is owned by the state and occupied by the Federal Security Service.[1]

Currently, this residence is officially known as the Federal State Budgetary Institution of the Directorate of the President of the Russian Federation "The Holiday House Valdai", designed for 320 seats.[2] In 2007–2010, "Dachas No. 1-3" were reconstructed in consistence with their historical appearances. The Congress Center was also built on the territory of the complex. The main building of the residence has an assembly hall.

According to Natalya Vetlitskaya, a private concert was held here in the winter of 2008 with the support of Pyotr Shaboltai, who was the director of the State Kremlin Palace.[4][5][6][7][8][a]

Notes

  1. ^ In a small theater at Putin's Dacha on 22 January 2009, the Australian tribute band Björn Again, which plays Abba songs and was founded by Ron Stephen and John Tyrrell, played for Vladimir Putin, who prefers patriotic songs, and eight others.[9] According to both Jennifer Robb, who performs as Anni-Frid, and Aileen McLaughlin, who performs as Agnetha Fältskog, seated on a couch next to Putin was his younger special female guest with short blonde hair who wore a "pretty long cream dress" and was known only as "Miss X" or Alina Kabaeva.[10][11][12][13] The Valdai concert list included 15 songs:[14][15]

References

  1. ^ a b "Тайны валдайской дачи Путина" [Secrets of Putin's Valdai dacha]. navalny.com (in Russian). 15 April 2021. Retrieved 29 December 2025.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Matveev, Vladimir (12 September 2000). "Путино-Дачное" [Putin's dacha]. Kommersant-Vlast. Archived from the original on 28 September 2013.
  3. ^ a b "По ельцинским местам" [In Yeltsin's footsteps]. Kommersant Vlast. 327 (26): 6. 6 July 1999. Retrieved 30 December 2025.
  4. ^ "Певица Ветлицкая рассказала в блоге «сказку», как участвовала в «сверхсекретном корпоративе для царя»" [Singer Vetlitskaya told a "fairy tale" in her blog how she participated in a "top-secret corporate party for the tsar"]. NEWSru (www.newsru.com) (in Russian). 17 August 2011. Archived from the original on 2 March 2018. Retrieved 11 September 2025.
  5. ^ "Певица Ветлицкая рассказала, как участвовала в «сверхсекретном корпоративе для царя»" [Singer Vetlitskaya told how she participated in a "top-secret corporate party for the tsar"]. «ВсеНовости» (www.vsenovosti.in.ua) (in Russian). 17 August 2011. Archived from the original on 7 March 2014. Retrieved 11 September 2025.
  6. ^ "Лебединая песня певицы: Наталья Ветлицкая рассказала в блоге «сказку», как участвовала в «сверхсекретном корпоративе для царя»" [The singer's swan song: Natalia Vetlitskaya told a "fairy tale" in her blog how she participated in a "top-secret corporate party for the tsar"]. РуПолитика- Политика России (rupolitika.ru) (in Russian). 19 August 2011. Archived from the original on 8 August 2018. Retrieved 11 September 2025.
  7. ^ "Нецензурная «сказка» певицы Натальи Ветлицкой про особо охраняемый концерт для 6 «челов во фраках»" [Obscene "fairy tale" by singer Natalia Vetlitskaya about a high-security concert for 6 "people in tailcoats"]. «Италия по-русски» (italia-ru.com) (in Russian). 25 August 2011. Retrieved 11 September 2025.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  8. ^ "Поп-страшилка для взрослых от Натальи Ветлицкой" [Pop horror story for adults by Natalia Vetlitskaya]. Музофил (muzofil.com) (in Russian). 26 August 2011. Archived from the original on 27 November 2017. Retrieved 11 September 2025.
  9. ^ Halpin, Tony (6 February 2009). "Vladimir Putin flies in Bjorn Again for Abba tribute concert". The Times. Archived from the original on 7 January 2010. Retrieved 11 September 2025.
  10. ^ Singh, Anita (6 February 2009). "Vladimir Putin revealed as secret Abba fan: Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has been unmasked as a secret Abba fan - so much so that he summoned the tribute band Bjorn Again to his homeland for a private concert". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 23 May 2010. Retrieved 11 September 2025.
  11. ^ Harding, Luke (6 February 2009). "Concert raises questions about Putin's alleged love for Abba. Abba tribute band Björn Again claims they were tapped to play exclusive concert for Russian prime minister". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 11 September 2025. Retrieved 11 September 2025.
  12. ^ "Путин оказался фанатом ABBA: двойники группы спели для него за 28 тыс. долларов" [Putin turned out to be an ABBA fan: the group's doubles sang for him for 28 thousand dollars]. NEWSru (www.newsru.com). 6 February 2009. Archived from the original on 11 September 2025. Retrieved 11 September 2025.
  13. ^ Halpin, Tony (19 April 2008). "President Putin denies affair with Kremlin 'babe' Alina Kabaeva". The Times. Archived from the original on 11 May 2008. Retrieved 11 September 2025.
  14. ^ "Извините, аббазнались" [Sorry, ABBA knew you]. «Газета.ru» (www.gazeta.ru) (in Russian). 6 February 2009. Archived from the original on 7 February 2009. Retrieved 11 September 2025.
  15. ^ Halpin, Tony (6 February 2009). "Vladimir Putin flies in Bjorn Again for Abba tribute concert". The Times. Archived from the original on 7 January 2010. Retrieved 11 September 2025.
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