Photos Show Putin's Mansion 'Decked Out In Gold,' Secret Girlfriend 'Biggest Taboo In Russia': Badanin

Several photos taken of Russian President Vladimir Putin's forest mansion in Valdai showed the interior "decked out in gold," according to a report.

The photos showed a mirror with a gold frame hanging on the wall atop a fireplace, several golden chandeliers and a dining room with a glass table surrounded by chairs made entirely of gold. Above the dining table hung a ball-shaped chandelier with dangling gold leaves.

Images taken of Putin's Valdai residence also featured a chandelier hanging down three stories and decorated with rubies and gold leaves.

"The home is decked out in gold, from Putin's office to his bedroom, to his so-called night cellar with gold dining chairs," CNN news anchor Erin Burnett said in a recent report that featured the images.

The photos were initially shared by Proekt, an independent Russian media group, in its report titled "Iron Masks" published last week. The same report also claimed Putin is living in his Valdai home with his girlfriend, Olympic gymnast Alina Kabaeva, who independent Russian journalist Roman Badanin called "the biggest taboo" of the country due to the secrecy surrounding her relationship with the Russian president.

"Putin is absolutely 100% crazy about the secrecy around his personal life, about his relatives and specifically about Kabaeva. Probably, I would say the Kabaeva is the biggest taboo in Russia," Badanin told CNN's Burnett. "[Putin's inner circle] are all sure that Putin and Kabaeva is a family. But at the same time, none of them have ever seen Kabaeva and Putin together."

The International Business Times could not independently verify whether the images are indeed the interiors of Putin's Valdai residence.

Badanin's remarks come after Proekt's report claimed that Putin built a separate living quarter for Kabaeva and their children that is near a boat pier and his secret railway in his Valdai residence. Construction for Kabaeva's living quarters began in 2020.

The report claimed Putin's and Kabaeva's homes are located near land where a huge spa complex is built. The complex allegedly features a solarium, cryo chamber, swimming pool, sauna, mud room, cosmetology and dentistry areas.

It also revealed that Kabaeva owns the largest penthouse in Russia and about $120 million in real estate.