Putin Allies Clear Ancient Genoese Ruins in Occupied Crimea to Build Luxury Resort

Russian occupation authorities in temporarily occupied Crimea have reduced the protected borders of a medieval archaeological heritage site in Sevastopol to clear land for a luxury hotel project linked to childhood friends of Russian leader Vladimir Putin, billionaires Boris and Arkady Rotenberg.

The decision affects the Northern Settlement of the Chembalo Fortress, a medieval site dating back to the 13th to 18th centuries located near the Genoese fortress in Balaklava, according to The Insider on May 20.

The hotel complex is being built by Port Lamos, a company connected to the Rotenberg brothers, on the site of a former Soviet Navy research base on Nazukin Embankment. Demolition of the military facility began last winter, and a portion of the construction zone directly overlaps with the protected archaeological area.

To legally remove this land from the preservation zone, archaeologists excavated 245 square meters, including 211 square meters located within the officially protected perimeter.

During the excavations in March and April, specialists discovered more than 2,000 ceramic fragments from the 14th to 18th centuries, including local, Byzantine, Ottoman, and Italian artifacts from the Republic of Genoa. Despite these findings, the state expert review concluded that the area had been completely studied and could be cleared for development.

Following approval from Sevnasledie, the Sevastopol cultural heritage management department, the 211 square meters were officially removed from the protected site and will no longer be considered an archaeological monument.

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The Insider reports that Port Lamos is also constructing another nearby hotel and purchasing historic real estate around Balaklava Bay, including the Yusupov hunting lodge and other historical mansions, with plans to convert them into hotels and restaurants.

The development of the Balaklava yacht marina is one of the largest projects managed by the Rotenbergs in Crimea since Moscow’s attempted annexation of the peninsula from Ukraine in 2014.

Launched in 2018 under a federal development program ordered by Putin, the initiative aims to create a tourism cluster featuring accommodation for 600 yachts, hotels, and recreational facilities by 2030. The construction is handled by companies linked to the Rotenberg brothers, including a firm previously involved in building the Crimean Bridge.

Previously, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) and the Office of the Prosecutor General formally charged Andrii Malhin, the so-called "director" of the Central Museum of Taurida in temporarily occupied Crimea, for orchestrating the looting of the Kherson Regional Art Museum.

According to the investigation, Malhin organized the illegal removal of over 10,000 valuable exhibits in November 2022 during the Russian retreat from Kherson. The stolen artifacts were initially moved to the left bank of the Kherson region before being transferred to Crimea under his leadership.

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