Putin has a special ‘sensory room’ at his presidential residence to relax and stave off depression

The magazine Sobesednik has a knack for reporting stories about Vladimir Putin’s private life. It was one of the first outlets to write about his ex-wife’s remarriage, the first to discover a warning from Russia’s Justice Ministry to a nonprofit created by his younger daughter, and it was reporting on both his daughters years before it became common with other publications. On September 4, Sobesednik released its latest insider scoop: Putin’s presidential residence at Valdai has installed a “sensory room” to facilitate the commander in chief’s relaxation and prevent him from slipping into depression.

According to the report, Russia’s Federal Protective Service signed a state contract to build a sensory room at the presidential residence in Valdai, complete with special lighting, “bubble tubes,” and a $3,170 “US MEDICA Quadro” massage chair that features two different “zero gravity” positions.

Sensory rooms are therapeutic spaces often used in mental health therapy for children with limited communication skills.

Sobesednik says a charity foundation operated by Gennady Timchenko (one of Russia’s richest businessmen and reportedly one of Putin’s closest friends) recently started financing the installation of similar sensory rooms at retirement centers in the Novgorod and Arkhangelsk regions.