RuLeaks: Putin's Awesome Duck Bowl

While WikiLeaks' official media distributor in Russia, the newspaper Russia Reporter, is frequently criticized (by me and many, many others) for publishing sexed up cables and working with the insane racist "Israel Shamir," RuLeaks has been quietly publishing material damaging to the Kremlin.  From Foreign Policy's Joshua Keating, a tranche of photos supposedly showing Vladimir Putin's secret palace on the Black Sea, which looks something like a Russian, new money version of Brideshead:

Comments

[Vladimir Putin]

Opulence? I has it.

[JoshINHB]

Where are the miniature giraffes?

[Restoras]

I bet the parties that Putin has there would make Berlusconi blush.

[Aresen]

Sorry to Godwin so quickly, but it definitely resembles Speer's Reichschancellery.

[sevo]

Naah:
http://www.google.com/imgres?i.....29,r:1,s:0

[Colonel_Angus]

What's Muhammed doing there?

[Sudden]

Hahahaha.

[Jeffersonian]

FTW!

[sevo]

And unlike Brezhnev, he doesn't have to claim to be a communist.

[DJF]

""'supposedly showing Vladimir Putin's """

Supposedly? Not a high standard in reporting when you have to use "supposedly".

[Sudden]

Interestingly enough, a DirecTV commercial was shot in that very location. I was hoping the photos included would show the mini-giraffe

[Tulpa]

What is that guy doing on the couch that necessitates the black box?

[Crusader Rabbit]

It can't be Putin, or the guy would have his shirt off. (Oh, wait. Maybe he does.)

[sage]

In soviet Russia, meat beats you!

[dbcooper]

🙂

[Kolohe]

Ironically, he's eating an American pie.

[cynical]

She must be a midget then.

[Rather]

The only crime here is the tacky decor. Who knew Putin and Donald Trump had the same taste?

[I Heart Capitalisms]

What is it with autocrats and vulgar architecture? There's probably an explanation somewhere in the Fountainhead.

[Rather]

I don't associate poor taste with autocracy but with gold syndrome. They visit a manor, or a museum and try to replicate the construction not realizing that the craftsmanship no longer exists and their basterdization has the made in China stamp all over it.

[I Heart Capitalisms]

Gold plating hasn't looked good since at least the 19th Century.
It's oddly appropriate though. These people are degenerates trying to impress other degenerates with tacky displays of low quality luxury. It's all about image, not substance.

[Rather]

I wonder if he came from poverty?

[lukas]

He grew up in Soviet Russia, you do the math.

[Lost_In_Translation]

My guess is its probably actually very high quality furniture and decor, but because we've seen it imitated so pervasively in poor quality style in McMansions around the world, we tend to believe anything in that style is poor quality and deserving of mocking.

Funny how availability of replication of luxury has led to the devaluement of actual luxury.

However, I think each style should be representative of its era and brand new Renaissance Palaces are a bit anachronistic and tacky.

[Irresponsible Hater]

exactly as tacky as i would have guessed

[Jo Dean]

Never really thought about it like that before, Makes sense though!

http://www.anon-tools.edu.tc

[Hugh Akston]

Who's half body is that on the sofa? And why did they put the effort into making it look so relaxed?

[Paul]

Because he's kickin' it old Soviet Union.

[Spur]

If Putin had Duck Soup served out of the Duck Bowl would that make him neo-Marxist?

Thank you thank you I'll be here all week - tip your waitress...

[Spur]

Also why is 'tranche' usually attached with evil connotations? I doubt we'll see a selection of the photos taken at the Reason Education Panel described on HnR as a 'tranche' - just guessing...

[pmains]

I associate "tranche" with corporate bonds. Tranche A, B, C etc. identifying the priority of paying in case of bankruptcy or somesuch.

[Barely Suppressed Rage]

...hence the evil connotation...

[Chony to the Max]

I don't see why you reactionary tarditarians think that a leader shouldn't have a nice vacation resort house.

As hard as Obama works, and as many great things as he has done to repair our country, he also should have such a nice house paid for with the gratitude of the taxpayers.

[affenkopf]

The censored guy on the sofa is also on a few of the other photos. He looks to be some kind of construction worker. Clearly this leaks put him at risk and should therefore not have been published.

[Rather]

I agree. I wonder how unique his uniform would be?

Of topic: did you see the new vein mapping technology they used to identify Daniel Pearl's executioner?

[Um]

Where's the proof?

[Moynihan the fool]

Moynihan writes: "While WikiLeaks' official media distributor in Russia, the newspaper Russia Reporter, is frequently criticized (by me and many, many others) for publishing sexed up cables and working with the insane racist "Israel Shamir," RuLeaks has been quietly publishing material damaging to the Kremlin."
If moynihan would have done any journalistic homework he would have noticed that Ruleaks is partnered with Russia Reporter! What a fool!

[Robert]

http://vladimirputinactioncomics.com