Kathrine Frich
Building a presidential fortress requires a very specific type of workforce.
When the head of state decides to change up their living arrangements, the details are usually kept under strict lock and key.
But even the most secretive government projects leave a paper trail if you know exactly where to look.
A major overhaul is currently underway on the shores of the Black Sea.
Out with the old
Vladimir Putin has long maintained a luxurious official retreat in the resort city of Sochi. Known as Bocharov Ruchai, the complex is now undergoing a massive transformation.
Demolition crews arrived at the site in 2024 to tear down several older structures. Fast forward to the autumn of 2026, and satellite imagery reveals the roofs of entirely new buildings taking shape, according to a recent investigation by the BBC.
Russian officials have stayed quiet about the heavy machinery. The only untouched section is the southern Bocharov Ruchai-2 building, where the Russian president still hosts international figures like the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency.
A sudden change
But the Russian leader is spending far less time enjoying the coastal breeze. Before the war began, Putin traveled to Sochi two dozen times, as reported by the Financial Times.
Those routine coastal escapes dropped sharply off the calendar once the conflict began to drag on. By 2024 and 2025, he only made two trips a year.
The sudden absence lines up with a growing security threat. Ukrainian drones have increasingly reached the Black Sea coastline, prompting the Federal Security Service to carve out a new three-square-kilometer protection zone around the estate.
Tracing the money
Finding the money behind the concrete required some digging. According to O2, The BBC uncovered court documents that described the project as the “construction and reconstruction of buildings and facilities of the Federal Security Service of Russia.”
The general contractor is a Crimean company called Transstroyinvest Group. The business is linked to Alexey Fomenko, a 47-year-old developer with reported ties to Arkady Rotenberg, who is a well-known associate of Putin.
This company is no stranger to lucrative government deals. They have previously secured billions of rubles for state projects, including the Artek International Children’s Center and a rebuilt cinema in occupied Mariupol.
Hiring in the shadows
Building a presidential fortress requires a very specific type of workforce. Online job postings initially sought Russian citizens with spotless criminal records for heavy labor, offering meals and cash in hand.
Recruiters eventually opened the doors to workers from Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan. By 2026, the hiring focus shifted to interior specialists who could install plumbing and lighting.
Every single applicant faced a mandatory background check before stepping onto the closed site. And despite the massive scale of the ongoing construction, the final price tag for this secretive coastal upgrade remains a complete mystery.
Sources: O2, BBC, Financial Times
