Documents show French entertainment firm met Putin over Crimea theme park

Internal documents reveal that French entertainment firm Puy du Fou maintained contact with sanctioned Russian oligarch Konstantin Malofeyev following Russia's annexation of Crimea, despite the EU sanctions imposed in 2014. A Guardian investigation, citing these documents published on August 2, found that Puy du Fou's founder, Philippe de Villiers, and his son Nicolas met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Yalta just a month after the sanctions were put in place.

They discussed building a theme park, Tsargrad, in occupied Ukrainian Crimea, with the project also intending to showcase Russia's history and soul. The documents confirm that a joint venture, Puy du Fou Tsargrad, was established with Malofeyev's pro-Kremlin media holding company each holding a 50% stake. Despite the sanctions, Puy du Fou continued to fund the project, discuss ways to minimize their impact, and even held actor casting calls in Russia.

The company only reportedly began winding down the partnership after the EU sanctions were implemented. Following the project's collapse, Puy du Fou began seeking opportunities in other authoritarian countries, including Iran, and eventually opened a park in Shanghai. Malofeyev, a Russian oligarch and supporter of the Russian Orthodox Church, founded the pro-Kremlin Tsargrad media holding company, leading to the US and EU imposing sanctions on him in 2014 over his backing of Crimea's annexation and funding militants in the self-proclaimed republics of Luhansk and Donetsk.