"A Palace for Putin: The Story of the Biggest Bribe" — Alexei Navalny's investigation into a residence on the Black Sea near Gelendzhik.
The project was released in two formats: as an investigative documentary and as a dedicated website featuring a written version of the investigation, supporting documents, and visual materials. The investigation traced the structure of the residence step by step: the land ownership, security infrastructure, contractors, legal entities, and financial flows leading to people within Vladimir Putin’s inner circle. The accompanying website allowed readers to examine the evidence behind the investigation’s key claims. It brought together excerpts from documents and records, explained the roles of companies and individuals involved, and supplemented the story with reconstructions and footage of the site. The project became one of the ACF's most influential investigations. After its release, it became one of the defining political events of early 2021 and sparked widespread discussion both in Russia and internationally. In 2024, the investigation received a follow-up when Navalny’s team released footage secretly filmed inside the residence. For the first time, viewers were able to see the palace interiors directly, without reconstructions or computer-generated imagery.