Kathrine Frich
A lavish celebration far from home has ignited a fierce backlash in Russia.
Images of champagne, helicopters and designer outfits shared online have collided with a country shaped by years of war and economic strain.
A glittering escape
According to Le Figaro, cited by News.ro, Russian clothing chain Rendez-Vous organised a four-day celebration in the French ski resort of Courchevel on January 15 to mark its 25th anniversary.
The company said the event was meant to let guests “live the spirit of the brand away from the city through emotions, communication and shared values.”
The programme included skiing, helicopter flights over the Alps, luxury hotels, slope-side parties, oysters and champagne, all widely shared on social media.
Celebrities and excess
Influencers, models and high-profile figures attended, including Ksenia Sobchak, a prominent Russian television personality often described as the “Paris Hilton of Russia.”
French singer Patricia Kaas, who enjoys popularity in Russia, reportedly performed a private concert for guests.
Russian media estimated the cost of the event at about 30 million rubles, or roughly €337,000.
Public anger erupts
The displays of wealth angered many Russians, who accused participants of being detached from everyday hardships during the war in Ukraine.
A Telegram channel known as “Voice of Mordor,” which frequently spreads pro-Kremlin narratives, called for “the immediate sending to the gulag of all those who boast in the Alps.”
Russian soldiers fighting in Ukraine also voiced criticism.
“While we are defending our homeland, others are having fun in Courchevel, aren’t you ashamed?” one serviceman said, according to France Info.
Political backlash
The controversy soon reached the State Duma. Deputy Aleksandr Tolmachev condemned what he described as a “wild party organized by Russian businessmen and celebrities.”
Speaking to the state-run Ria Novosti agency on January 22, he said participants had “made every imaginable mistake.”
Tolmachev compared the backlash to outrage over a December 2023 Moscow party hosted by blogger Anastasia Ivleeva, which patriotic circles denounced as a moral insult to soldiers at the front.
Brand responds
Beyond the cost, the lawmaker criticised spending “millions in France,” a country that provides military aid to Ukraine, calling it “a simple betrayal of the country’s interests.”
Rendez-Vous later responded on Instagram, saying the trip was organised by its local Courchevel team.
The company added that all employees received salary increases this year, without referencing the war.
Sources: Le Figaro, News.ro, France Info, Digi24.
