Putin's Goddaughter Joins Russia's Super-Rich for a Lavish Courchevel Party as Ukraine War Rages On
Europe's elite have gathered at Courchevel as Russia's war in Ukraine continues to cast a shadow over a glittering display of wealth. Photos and videos show Russian influencers and socialites skiing, quaffing champagne and walking a red carpet in Courchevel, one of Europe's most exclusive resorts, while Russia's conflict in Ukraine grinds on. Among those partying in the French Alps was Vladimir Putin's 'goddaughter' Ksenia Sobchak, 44, a TV star, media owner, and socialite whose late father Anatoly Sobchak launched the dictator on his political career after the Soviet collapse. The uproar came after luxury shoe and fashion chain Rendez-Vous flew a star-studded guest list to Courchevel to celebrate its 25th anniversary, and 16 years since opening its boutique at the ski resort. Among the guests apart from Sobchak were Oksana Samoylova, 37, influencer and mother of four with 17 million Instagram followers, Lena Perminova, 38, a supermodel attending with her Ukrainian model boyfriend Taras Romanov, 29, and Alexander Rogov, 44, celebrity stylist and current host on Russia's propagandist Channel One. Influencers posed on the slopes, skied and snowboarded by day - and by night attended a 'gala dinner', complete with a red carpet rolled out directly onto the snow. Photos show venues including La Folie Douce, Courchevel's famous apres-ski hotspot, and Chalet de l'Ecailler, a high-end seafood restaurant on the slopes. According to conservative pro-war news outlet Tsargrad TV, the tour took place at a luxury hotel where rooms start at $10,000. Guests were reportedly treated to oysters, prosciutto, jamon and premium alcohol, with one dinner alone costing up to $13,000. Lavish: Among those partying in the French Alps was Vladimir Putin's 'goddaughter' Ksenia Sobchak (pictured, right). Criticism: The backlash was immediate and brutal from Russia, where Putin has previously slapped down A-listers including Sobchak for partying during his bloody war in Ukraine, believing it undermines the sacrifices of his cannon fodder troops. Entertainment around the resort allegedly included private helicopter flights costing thousands of dollars. The celebrities were accused of indulging in $750-a-bottle Veuve Clicquot champagne and meals at La Folie Douce at $1,300 a head. The backlash was immediate and brutal from Russia, where Putin has previously slapped down A-listers including Sobchak for partying during his bloody war in Ukraine, believing it undermines the sacrifices of his cannon fodder troops. PR expert Milena Dorokhina said Russians were outraged 'by the ostentatious luxury without regard for context. When a mass-market brand showcases private jets and Courchevel, it automatically causes irritation.' Some videos even showed SVO fighters recording angry messages, accusing celebrities of partying while soldiers die. 'You're showing off your swagger while we're spilling blood,' one clip declared. Ongoing conflict: Ukrainian rescuers work to extinguish a burning petrol truck following an air attack in Kyiv, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Firebrand State Duma deputy Vitaly Milonov likened the partying to the work of the devil, urging Russians to boycott the Rendez-Vous brand. The anger has also come from Rendez-Vous employees and customers, who say bonuses are being cut while management splashes millions abroad. One comment said: 'Disgusting! It would have been better to send the money to the guys at the front.' An employee of Rendez-Vous complained: 'This is how you ruin a brand - expensively and spectacularly.' Even fashion gossip outlet Tatler's Heroine mocked the spectacle as a 'textbook on how to make everyone hate you'. A furious commenter said: 'They're dominating Europe, humiliating it with Russian flags and champagne - while ordinary people are told to tighten their belts.' Another said: 'These aren't Russians, they're parasites. Leave them there [in the West]. Lock the door from the inside. The confiscated funds could keep the war going for years.' Alina Mieva, marketing director of Rendez-Vous, defended the publicity trip, and said it also included private jet trips to Paris and Geneva - despite Western sanctions. She said the company also ran such trips to Krasnodar region, close to the war zone.
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A-List Courchevel Reunion: Sobchak and Friends Celebrate Rendez-Vous 25th Anniversary
The luxury fashion chain Rendez-Vous flew a star-studded guest list to Courchevel to celebrate its 25th anniversary, and 16 years since opening its boutique at the ski resort. Among those partying in the French Alps were Vladimir Putin's 'goddaughter' Ksenia Sobchak, 44, a TV star, media owner, and socialite whose late father Anatoly Sobchak launched the dictator on his political career after the Soviet collapse. Oksana Samoylova, 37, influencer and mother of four with 17 million Instagram followers, Lena Perminova, 38, a supermodel attending with her Ukrainian model boyfriend Taras Romanov, 29, and Alexander Rogov, 44, celebrity stylist and current host on Russia's propagandist Channel One. Influencers posed on the slopes, skied and snowboarded by day - and by night attended a 'gala dinner', complete with a red carpet rolled out directly onto the snow. Photos show venues including La Folie Douce, Courchevel's famous apres-ski hotspot, and Chalet de l'Ecailler, a high-end seafood restaurant on the slopes. According to conservative pro-war news outlet Tsargrad TV, the tour took place at a luxury hotel where rooms start at $10,000. Guests were reportedly treated to oysters, prosciutto, jamon and premium alcohol, with one dinner alone costing up to $13,000. Entertainment around the resort allegedly included private helicopter flights costing thousands of dollars. The celebrities were accused of indulging in $750-a-bottle Veuve Clicquot champagne and meals at La Folie Douce at $1,300 a head. The Rendez-Vous event 'irritates everyone at once: those who are for the war - they're eating hazel grouse while the boys are dying - and those who are against it…' 'This is a case where a campaign manages to be disgusting to everyone.' Propagandist pro-war 'Z-channels' exploded with rage, while REN TV - part of a media group headed by 73-year-old Putin's lover Alina Kabaeva, 42 - quoted music producer Sergei Dvortsov, who said: 'While our boys fight, giving their lives for us, our stars are having a blast, living in luxury with big money. Their mistake is a show of wealth and luxury… in times of plague.' Backlash: The celebrities were accused of indulging in $750-a-bottle Veuve Clicquot champagne and meals at La Folie Douce at $1,300 a head. PR expert Milena Dorokhina said Russians were outraged 'by the ostentatious luxury without regard for context. When a mass-market brand showcases private jets and Courchevel, it automatically causes irritation.' Some videos even showed SVO fighters recording angry messages, accusing celebrities of partying while soldiers die. 'You're showing off your swagger while we're spilling blood,' one clip declared.
Backlash Across Russia: Outcry Over Courchevel Luxury While War Rages
Ongoing conflict: Ukrainian rescuers work to extinguish a burning petrol truck following an air attack in Kyiv, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Firebrand State Duma deputy Vitaly Milonov likened the partying to the work of the devil, urging Russians to boycott the Rendez-Vous brand. The anger has also come from Rendez-Vous employees and customers, who say bonuses are being cut while management splashes millions abroad. One comment said: 'Disgusting! It would have been better to send the money to the guys at the front.' An employee of Rendez-Vous complained: 'This is how you ruin a brand - expensively and spectacularly.' Even fashion gossip outlet Tatler's Heroine mocked the spectacle as a 'textbook on how to make everyone hate you'. A furious commenter said: 'They're dominating Europe, humiliating it with Russian flags and champagne - while ordinary people are told to tighten their belts.' Another said: 'These aren't Russians, they're parasites. Leave them there [in the West]. Lock the door from the inside. The confiscated funds could keep the war going for years.' Alina Mieva, marketing director of Rendez-Vous, defended the publicity trip, and said it also included private jet trips to Paris and Geneva - despite Western sanctions. She said the company also ran such trips to Krasnodar region, close to the war zone.
Rendez-Vous Defends the Trip as Debates Rage On
Alina Mieva, marketing director of Rendez-Vous, defended the publicity trip, and said it also included private jet trips to Paris and Geneva - despite Western sanctions. She said the company also ran such trips to Krasnodar region, close to the war zone. The backlash continues to swirl as supporters and critics weigh in on the ethics of conspicuous consumption during wartime, and whether luxury branding can or should be separated from geopolitics.
