Abandoned Villas of Powerful Figures Discovered in Finland
An abandoned $3.2 million fishing villa built for Vladimir Putin by a friend sits on the coast of Lake Saimaa in southeast Finland. The luxury property has three floors, a wine cellar, sauna, and elevator, but was never completed due to issues with construction crews and Putin's lack of interest in Finnish fishing. The villa was funded by Viktor Khmarin, an old classmate of Putin's at Leningrad State University who now lobbies for the Russian leader. Khmarin had built the Finnish cottage in a bid to get Putin to spend more time with him, but later wrote it off as a loss after he couldn't find a buyer.