Kathrine Frich
Far from Minsk and Damascus, Russia is quietly becoming a sanctuary for dictators.
A new investigation has revealed that Belarusian leader Aleksandr Lukashenko is constructing an opulent compound in the mountains of southern Russia
A fortress in the mountains
According to the Belarusian Investigative Center (BIC), an independent journalism group based in Warsaw, Lukashenko’s sprawling complex near the resort town of Krasnaya Polyana, close to Sochi, is rising at remarkable speed.
The group says it visited the 10-hectare site twice, in July and October, and found evidence of extensive fortifications and elite-level security measures.
Although official documents list the project as a “luxury hotel,” investigators say the security setup makes that claim implausible.
The property will be enclosed by a 2.5-meter-high fence with barbed wire, reinforced against tunneling and impact.
Six guard posts will be fitted with cameras and weapons systems, while advanced sensors, including radiation detectors, X-ray scanners, thermal cameras and anti-drone defenses, will guard the perimeter.
Each of the four main buildings will have its own security control room and armory.
Entry to the estate will be through a multi-tonne steel gate, reportedly capable of stopping a speeding truck.
Fit for a king
The scale of luxury inside matches the fortress-like exterior.
The largest of the four main buildings covers roughly half the size of a football field and includes a grand lobby with 23-foot ceilings, a banquet hall, and an underground pool complex with saunas and massage rooms.
Three smaller villas nearby each feature private pools, saunas, and four bedrooms.
A separate 1,000-square-meter hotel and restaurant building is intended for select guests.
Dirty money
The land for the complex once belonged to the Belarusian state but was sold in 2022 to a Russian developer, Kompleks-Invest, for a fraction of its estimated market value.
The transaction was authorized under a secret decree signed by Lukashenko, according to the BIC. Independent auditors valued the land at 131 million dollars, but it was sold for just 6.4 million.
By 2024, ownership of Kompleks-Invest had reportedly passed to a former member of Lukashenko’s security services.
Investigators traced loans totaling over 35 million dollars connected to the project, much of it linked to figures close to the Belarusian regime and companies with a history of opaque financial dealings.
Assad’s gilded exile
While Lukashenko builds his mountain retreat, and still sits in power, another longtime ally of Vladimir Putin has already found refuge inside Russia.
Former Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, who fled Damascus after a coup in 2024, is now reportedly living in luxury exile in Moscow.
An investigation by Die Zeit revealed that Assad and his family occupy about 20 apartments across three floors of a high-rise in the Russian capital.
The former leader is said to spend much of his time gaming online and living a quiet, secluded life.
Assads new home was described as a glittering skyscraper with marble-clad bathrooms, chandeliers, and panoramic views of the Moscow River.
Assad’s eldest son, Hafez, recently confirmed on social media that the family had escaped Damascus aboard a Russian military plane during the fall of the capital.
With Assad living under Moscow’s protection and Lukashenko investing in a heavily fortified Russian estate, one could say Russia is becoming a haven for authoritarian leaders seeking security and influence.
Sources: Digi24, Belarusian Investigative Center, Die Zeit, Ynet, Reuters.
