Russia’s Sberbank appointed Lanfranco Cirillo, known as the architect of Putin’s palace near Gelendzhik, as senior vice president, creating a new Construction block for this role, Interfax reported on Aug. 1.
“Lanfranco has vast experience in construction and a great sense of style,” Gref said. “I am confident that his talents will strengthen our construction business and enable us to build even more high-quality, modern, and beautiful facilities that are important for all of Russia.”
Cirillo was identified in an investigation by the Russian Anti-Corruption Foundation as one of the designers of Putin’s controversial palace in Gelendzhik. He has completed nearly 50 projects for Russian oligarchs.
An investigation in Italy was launched after a Russian-registered helicopter was found in the Brescia area without the necessary customs documentation. The investigation suspects that the architect is hiding tens of millions of euros in income earned from 2013 to 2019.
In August 2022, the Italian Financial Guard seized assets worth more than 141 million euros ($144 million) from the architect who designed Putin’s palace.
