How much does the president's love for Sochi cost

Why the guarantor prefers to live in subtropics

Photo: NewRezume.org

According to Russian law, federal authorities must be located in the capital - Moscow. But Vladimir Putin, having come to power, quickly decided that he did not want to be constantly in the city. All working meetings were gradually transferred to his residence near Moscow (now it is Novo-Ogarsevo), where officials are continuously traveling to him, creating vagaries on the Rublevo-Uspensky highway. He loves to visit his hometown.

However, the head of state was not limited to traveling to CANKTERTERSburg and working meetings at the residence near Moscow. Following the example of European monarchs, who moved from the palace to the palace in different seasons, Putin increasingly began to leave for the resort city of Sochi, to his residence "Bocharov stream". NT studied the president’s schedule over the past four years and was convinced that Sochi can be considered another full capital of Russia.

How much does the president work in Sochi

Only officially in 2017, Vladimir Putin spent 40 days in Sochi. How much actually - only his close associates know. In those days when he was officially in Sochi, as follows from the Kremlin.ru website, he held numerous meetings, to which dozens of officials of the Kremlin, the White House and Generals of the General Staff gathered from Moscow, from the regions - governors, and from around the world, the head of state, starting with the head of Tajikistan and ending with the clerk of Germany. In just a year, Putin held 67 events in Sochi (international calls are not included in this figure, which he also regularly does while in the “Bocharov stream”).

According to the number of days in the President’s schedule, the southern capital is ahead of all other points except Moscow and Novo-Ogarsky. So, in his native Petersburg since the beginning of the year, Putin spent only 12 days, of which five fell on the International Economic Forum (PMEF). It is interesting that even the governor of the Northern capital, Georgy Poltavchenko, has to fly to meetings for the president in Sochi (such a meeting took place, for example, August 9). In other regions, the president, of course, is even less common.

Apparently, Putin likes working in Sochi more and more. At least this year in the number of trips has been a record in recent years. For example, in 2016, the president spent 25 working days there, and in 2015 - 32. More than this year, Putin visited Sochi only in 2014, when they spent the Olympics (Putin spent more than fifty days there).

Apparently, Putin likes working in Sochi more and more. At least this year in the number of trips has been a record in recent years. He held 67 official events there

The head of state loves to fly to Sochi in certain seasons. From year to year, this happens in the spring and at the end of summer - in the fall. At this time, Putin literally moves to Sochi.

So, this fall Putin lingered in Sochi in October and November for a long time. On November 20–24, he several times confused with the highest command staff of the army, met with the Council of People's Commissars, members of the economic bloc of the government and the presidential administration, and also on different days negotiated with the presidents of Syria, the Czech Republic, Iran and Sudan.

He flew here on November 13 to meet with the president of Turkey. In October, the president spent almost most of the working days in Sochi - he was unchanged in the city on October 15–21, October 10–12 and October 6–7.

For most of the summer, the southern city was not interested in the head of state, but in May he visited there three times - 16–22, 10–11, as well as from April 30 to May 3. But in January, February, March and most of April, the president in Sochi almost did not look.

The same picture in previous years. In 2016, Putin transfers many important meetings to the south and holds in Sochi in the aggregate six days in October and November, and also finds himself in the city for 10 days in May. In 2015, Putin spends 14 days in Sochi in October-November and exactly a week in May.

How much Putin is resting in Sochi

On October 6, the president flew to Sochi to visit a sports health complex. The next day, members of the Security Council flew to him, and already on October 8, he, judging by the official schedule, suddenly ended up in Moscow at bilateral and closed from the press with officials (including with the chairman of the Central Election Commission Ella Pamfilova and the Governor of Governors, Alexander Burkov and Stanislav Voskresensky), so that on October 10 they would return to the public meetings with foreign leaders (they We lasted until October 12).

Such cases occur often, and it should not be considered that the president constantly travels from Moscow to Sochi and vice versa, the interlocutor close to the Kremlin says. In fact, bilateral meetings with officials are held and removed on the camera in advance - these are the so -called “canned food” that they publish in those days when the president wants to take a break from public events. Thus, in fact, the head of state was not in Sochi from October 6 to 7, and then on October 10–12, as reported officially, but spent exactly a week in the city - from October 6 to 12.

A better known incident occurred in August. Then the head of state appeared at a public event in Sochi along with reporters on the 8th (it was a sambo tournament), but in the evening the journalists of the Kremlin pool were taken to Moscow, and the next time they invited the president’s event only on August 16. All week the Kremlin published “canned food”, and the head of state was resting in the south.

It should not be considered that the leader continuously travels from Moscow to Sochi and back, the interlocutor close to the Kremlin says. In fact, meetings with officials are held and shot on camera in advance - these are the so -called “canned food” that they publish on those days when the president wants to take a break from public events

There are many such cases, the head of state, by working days in Sochi, often guesses several days off, says the interlocutor close to the Kremlin. For example, the Kremlin’s website indicates that he was in Sochi on May 10-11, but on May 12 and 13 there are no events in the chart of the head of state, that is, he was also in Sochi for another two days. In total, taking into account these increase, Putin could stay in Sochi for 66 days in Sochi for this year - that is, in total for more than two months.

Sochi is better than any other place in Russia, is suitable for climate for any type of rest that interests the head of state, the interlocutors close to the Kremlin explain. In warm times, you can much longer than in the middle strip of Russia, enjoy swimming - until the beginning of November. In recent years, the president has become carried away by upwater hunting. He loves her not only in Tuva (in August the head of state caught a pike there), but also in the south, the interlocutor close to the Kremlin says.

In cold weather, Putin is more suitable for the Lunar Polyana (not far from the popular Krasnaya Polyana resort), it is distant from other ski resorts, and there it is very convenient from all, on closed tracks, skiing, including “along the virgin lands” (that is, along fresh snow, and not along the hidden tracks), which Putin especially loves, the interviewee, familiar with the interpretation of the interpretation of organization of his rest. Moreover, the ski season begins at the end of November and sometimes lasts until April.

The head of state, by working days in Sochi, often guesses several weekends, says the interlocutor close to the Kremlin. In total, taking into account these increases, Putin could stay in Sochi for 66 days in Sochi for this year - that is, a total of more than two months

The price of the issue

The main problem of the work of the head of state outside Moscow is that both he and his officials must constantly fly. For example, in the period from May 16 to 22, dozens of officials flew in Sochi. At first, these were several dozen leaders of the Ministry of Defense and the military-industrial complex (fly on special aircraft), then Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev flew to him (he has a separate side), then members of the Security Council (also require a separate side). In addition to them, officials responsible for foreign policy flew, including Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who helped Putin meet with the Prime Minister of Italy Paolo Gentloni. In addition, Putin himself flies in Sochi not with one side, and several - in addition to his aircraft, a back -up side flies, as well as a plane with a press, security and assistants.

Each flight costs the state in a specific amount - it is registered in the contract between the special flight detachment “Russia” and “Aeroflot”, which provides all the service of the sides, from the air navigation to the power of the crew, told NT the interlocutor close to the government, familiar with the contract. According to him, depending on the size of the aircraft, each flight of one side by one back and forth costs from 950 thousand rubles. up to 2.7 million rubles.

Thus, if we assume that for each of the above events in May there was only one aircraft per day and add three sides of the president to this, it turns out that Putin’s stay in Sochi cost the budget about 13 million rubles. If we assume that one of the 67 events came to Putin one aircraft with officials, and also take into account the flights of the president and two escort sides, then based on the average price (1.8 million rubles), it turns out that the minimum annual flight budget in Sochi starts from 190 million rubles.

But this is far from all the expenses associated with the Sochi everyday life and holidays of the president. The Investigation Management Center (CUR) discovered this year a contract, according to which by the end of 2018, in the Sochi residence of Vladimir Putin, a four-story building with pools and a SPA zone, as well as a beach pavilion, will be built by 2018. The entire construction will cost a budget of 1.81 billion rubles.

If we take into account the flights of officials, the board of the president and two sides of escort, then based on the average price (1.8 million rubles), it turns out that the minimum annual flight budget in Sochi starts from 190 million rubles.

Constitution vs Sochi and Putin

According to the Constitution, Moscow is the capital, and it is here that the authorities are concentrated, it is from here that senior officials and institutions lead the country. Is it legal that the president and the Supreme Commander -in -Chief is a significant part of the time, works, makes decisions in another city, and the taxpayers who pay for his geographical attachments are often not reported about his whereabouts.

NT turned to two professionals - a specialist in constitutional law and assistant to the first president Boris Yeltsin.

Ilya Shablinsky, professor of the Department of Constitutional and Municipal Law of the Faculty of Law of the Higher School of Economics, member of the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation:

In accordance with Art. 70, part 2 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, the capital of the Russian Federation is the city of Moscow. The status of the capital is established by federal law. Such a law was adopted on April 15, 1993. Art. 1 of this law it was established that the place of federal state authorities of the Russian Federation is the city of Moscow. This means that Moscow is the location and activity of the President of the Russian Federation.

What does the location mean? If we are talking about such bodies as the State Duma or Government, then you can use Art. 54 of the Civil Code “Name, location and address of the legal entity”, according to which the location of the legal entity (the rights of the legal entity endowed the apparatuses of the chambers of the Federal Assembly and Government) is determined by the place of its state registration in the territory of the Russian Federation. In the case of the president, it will not work. Here the Civil Code will not help. The location of the President of the Russian Federation should be understood as the main place of his work - the place of his official residence. It is located in Moscow, in the Kremlin. This was established by the Decree of the President (Decree of the President of the Russian Federation of January 31, 1992 No. 82 “On the official residence of the President of the Russian Federation”). By the way, the place of stay in Sochi is also determined quite specifically: according to the Decree of the President of the Russian Federation of September 27, 2008 No. 1411 by the official residence of the President of the Russian Federation in the city of Sochi is the state cottage “Bocharov stream”.
At the same time, the obligations of the head of state associated with his place (places) of his stay are not regulated by any laws. The legislation provides for any restrictions here. In fact, the President of Russia - like any head of state - may precisely by virtue of the performance of his duties to work in any village of the country. Of course, all means of operational communication with the armed forces should be at his hand. They are moved with him.

“The fact that its whereabouts is not informed reflects the indifference to this issue of the main part of society, and this is the specificity of the regime that he created”

Georgy Satarov, assistant to the President of Russia Boris Yeltsin, Professor of the RANEPA, co -chair of the All -Russian Civil Congress:

There are no records in the Constitution about the need to report on the movement of the president or informing about his health. Under Boris Yeltsin, this was done according to the general principle of openness of power.

The fact that Putin likes to be in Sochi does not mean that power is concentrated there. Of course, he likes to be there, and he does what he likes.

The fact that his whereabouts is not informed reflects the indifference to this issue of the main part of society, and this is the specificity of the regime that he created. There are no formally violations in this, since there is still no law on the president in our country.

Elena Teslova participated in the preparation of the material