Putin Orders Hunt for Property of Russian Empire, Soviet Union
- President directs officials to search for Russian assets
- Russian empire extended over eastern Europe, Finland at peak
Vladimir Putin
Photographer: Gavriil Grigorov/AFP/Getty ImagesThis article is for subscribers only.
Vladimir Putin is going on a property hunt, ordering officials to find Russian assets that once belonged to its former empire or were owned by the Soviet Union.
An order from the Russian president published late Thursday allocated funding for a state unit to conduct searches for property abroad and ensure Russia’s ownership rights are registered. The document didn’t indicate the size of the budget for the operation or what kinds of property are being sought.