U.S. Woman Detained Near Putin’s Residence in Novo-Ogaryovo

Employees of the Federal Protective Service (FSO) of Russia detained a 30-year-old U.S. citizen, Alexa Rae, near the state residence in Novo-Ogaryovo, Baza Telegram channel says.

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Fence of the Novo-Ogaryovo residence and temple

The incident occurred several weeks ago, though the exact date was not specified. The foreign national did not speak Russian and was unable to explain why she was staying near the secured site. After her detention, she was handed over to the police for further investigation.

The channel notes that Alexa Ray is a frequent visitor to Russia and is currently in the country on a tourist visa. Since the fall of 2024, she had been staying at a hotel in Krasnogorsk (Moscow's suburban town - ed.), but left on December 31 when the hotel closed for New Year holidays.

It remains unclear whether any administrative or criminal charges were filed against the woman or if she was released after questioning.

Putin's Novo-Ogaryovo Residence

Novo-Ogaryovo is a former 19th-century estate located near the village of Usovo in the Odintsovo district of Moscow Oblast. Its history dates back to the 1800s, when it belonged to Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich. In the 1950s, it was rebuilt under orders from Soviet leader Georgy Malenkov and served as a guest residence for official delegations. Since 2000, it has been the official state residence of the President of Russia. It is used for work meetings and high-level diplomatic encounters.

The site is closed to the public and heavily guarded by the FSO. Unauthorized access is strictly prohibited, tours are not allowed, and the residence is surrounded by a six-meter-high fence with surveillance cameras. Mobile phone usage on the grounds is also restricted.

The president holds meetings with Russian officials and foreign leaders at Novo-Ogaryovo:

• In summer 2024, Vladimir Putin held an informal conversation there with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi;
• in the fall, Putin welcomed UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

According to presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov, the meeting with the UAE leader took place "at home," reflecting the trust and friendship between the two presidents.

In 2021, reports emerged of large-scale construction near Novo-Ogaryovo, allegedly including a hospital, hotel, and sports complex-projects estimated to cost 20-50 billion rubles. There were also claims of a bridge being built across the Moscow River for around 200 million rubles. Kremlin officials, however, denied any such construction.

"There is no construction at Novo-Ogaryovo. It is the residence of the head of state… I can say that there is no construction on the president's grounds," Peskov stated, noting that the outlet that published the claims had been banned in Russia.

Despite strict security, photos of the area occasionally surface online, showing views of the park, river, mansion, and banquet tables. In response, the FSO has tightened rules by banning photography, limiting phone usage, and preventing map geotagging-making Novo-Ogaryovo a zone where uninvited guests are not expected.

Details

Novo-Ogaryovo (Russian: Ново-Огарёво), also transliterated as Novo-Ogarevo, is an estate in the Odintsovsky District of Moscow Oblast, located by the Rublyovo-Uspenskoye Highway west of the city of Moscow. It operates as the suburban residence of the President of Russia, officially recognized as such in 2000, although, throughout President Vladimir Putin's second tenure, he has spent progressively more time at Novo-Ogaryovo, so much so that it has been unofficially termed the de facto residence of the head of state