He’s long been a thorn in the side of the Russian leader and for years the Kremlin has tried to silence him – yet despite the fact he’s been persecuted, jailed and poisoned, he refuses to be muzzled.
And Alexei Navalny’s latest deed of defiance might well be his boldest yet. The 44-year-old Russian activist and politician recently released a video that’s had jaws dropping around the world – and clearly rattled Russian president Vladimir Putin.
The film is of what Navalny calls “Putin’s Palace”, a staggeringly ostentatious development second only in cost to Buckingham Palace.
The R22,4-billion estate on the shores of the Black Sea spares no expense: Included in the litany of luxury is an R14 000 toilet brush, an R20 000 toilet roll holder, an R896 000 custom-made Italian table, and an R432 000 sofa.
The film racked up more than 100 million views in the first week of its release and has appalled Putin opponents – but the president himself denies the property belongs to him or any member of his family.
However, the fact that he publicly denied ownership on state TV was taken by his critics as a sign he was unsettled by the exposé, as well as Navalny’s assertion that the palace was built with money funnelled to Putin by corrupt oligarchs.
The property, which is in an Italian palazzo style, “is an entire city, or rather a kingdom”, Navalny says in his video.
“It has impregnable fences, its own port, its own security, a church, a no-fly zone and even its own border checkpoint.”
Denne historien er fra 11 February 2021-utgaven av YOU South Africa.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra 11 February 2021-utgaven av YOU South Africa.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
HOW TO BE YOUR OWN THERAPIST
With more and more of us struggling with our mental health, here's a common-sense guide to coping with life's ups and downs
SPUD: THE MAGIC CONTINUES
John van de Ruit tells us why he decided to write a sequel - and shares how his first book helped him find enduring love
SEX CONTRACT GONE WRONG
A Cape Town couple have been charged with using a young woman as a sex slave-but some say she lost the job she signed up for and now has a grudge against them
LIAM LAID TO REST
More than a month after One Direction singer LIAM PAYNE (31) tragically fell to his death from a balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina, his loved ones finally got to say their goodbyes.
SHILOH HANGS OUT
THE two young women look like any pair of good friends chatting and laughing as they leave their dance class in Los Angeles.
LEO IN LOVE
He's just turned 50 and it seems Leonardo DiCaprio may finally be ready to settle down
PACKING A PUNCH
Irish actor Paul Mescal beefed up for his role in the blockbuster epic Gladiator II - and fans are loving it
I DIDN'T CHOOSE TO BE A LOVE CHILD
As the illegitimate daughter of the king, she fought to be recognised as part of Belgium's royal family, but Princess Delphine says she still feels unwelcome
'I STILL HAVE NIGHTMARES'
A bite from a spitting cobra 13 years ago nearly killed her but Mikayla survived - and she's made peace with her scars
THE CLAWS ARE OUT!
Things have grown frosty between the Beckhams and the Sussexes as Becks comes out in clear support of William