Книга “Люди Путина”

Не переведена пока.

Putin's People: How the KGB Took Back Russia and then Took on the West -  Kindle edition by Belton, Catherine. Politics & Social Sciences Kindle  eBooks @ Amazon.com.

Эпиграф.
Лидеры российской организованной преступности, их члены, их сообщники переезжают в Западную Европу, покупают недвижимость, открывают банковские счета, учреждают компании, вплетают себя в ткань общества, и к тому времени, когда Европа осознает это, будет уже слишком поздно”.
Бывший специальный агент ФБР Боб Левинсон
Я хочу предупредить американцев. Как народ, вы очень наивны в отношении России и ее намерений. Вы считаете, что раз Советского Союза больше не существует, то Россия теперь ваш друг. Это не так, и я могу показать вам, как СВР пытается уничтожить США даже сегодня и даже больше, чем КГБ во время холодной войны”.

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Внутренний круг Путина, “силовики”

Игорь Сечин – доверенное лицо Путина, бывший оперативник КГБ из Санкт-Петербурга, который поднялся во власть в качестве заместителя главы путинского Кремля и возглавил государственное поглощение российского нефтяного сектора. Позже стал известен как “российский Дарт Вейдер” за свою безжалостную склонность к заговорам.Николай Патрушев – могущественный бывший глава Федеральной службы безопасности (ФСБ), преемника КГБ, и нынешний глава Совета безопасности.Виктор Иванов – Бывший офицер КГБ, служивший вместе с Путиным в Ленинградском КГБ и курировавший кадры в качестве заместителя главы Кремля во время первого срока Путина, возглавляя начальную экспансию Кремля в экономику.

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Is this Britain’s youngest transgender child?

Father of trans boy, 4, reveals his son told him ‘I’m not a girl’ at the age of just TWO – but says people refuse to call him by his new name

By Jo Tweedy For Mailonline

Published: 05:21 EDT, 5 May 2021

The father of one of the UK’s youngest transgender children, insists that his four-year-old son has ‘never been a girl’ from birth. Matthew Stubbings, and wife Klara Jeynes, both 44, from Doncaster, say their son Stormy, who was born a twin and assigned female gender at birth, first began showing signs of identifying as male at just 18-months-old. Stormy’s father says his son ‘hated pigtails and dresses’ or even ‘pretty shoes’, and at the age of two-and-a-half told his family: ‘I’m not a girl, I think I’m a boy’. However, he says the family have faced a struggle getting some adults to accept Stormy’s decision – with many still insisting on calling him a girl. 

Father-of-two Matthew Stubbings, from Doncaster, says his transgender son Stormy, four, has never identified as female despite being assigned that gender at birth (Pictured Stormy in a recent photograph)

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Piers about Meghan the Hypocrite

PIERS MORGAN: How the hell can Meghan ‘I hate royalty but call me Duchess’ Markle preach about father-child relationships when she’s disowned her own Dad, and wrecked her husband’s relationship with his?

By Piers Morgan for MailOnline

Published: 15:53 EDT, 4 May 2021

What would make the current shortlist for the title of World’s Most Ludicrously Inappropriate Book?

Donald Trump‘s Guide to Diplomacy?

The Art of Protecting One’s Privacy by the Kardashian Sisters?

Why Marriage is for Keeps by Bill and Melinda Gates?

These would all be good contenders were it not for the announcement this afternoon that Meghan Markle has written a book called ‘The Bench’ about the very special bond between father and child.

Sorry, WHAT?

Notwithstanding Ms Markle’s seemingly unlimited thirst for committing attention-seeking acts of gargantuan hypocrisy, this seemed beyond parody.

But it was real.

I laughed out loud when the news broke via her ecstatic publishers, and even louder when I read the accompanying gush-laden statements.

Ms Markle proudly informed us that her debut literary tome captures ‘the warmth, joy and comfort of the relationship between fathers and sons from all walks of life.’

She added: ‘This representation was particularly important to me … and I worked closely to depict this special bond through an inclusive lens. My hope is that The Bench resonates with every family, no matter the make-up, as much as it does with mine.’

Hmmmm.

Meghan Markle has written a book called 'The Bench' about the very special bond between father and child. Sorry, WHAT? I laughed out loud when the news broke via her ecstatic publishers, and even louder when I read the accompanying gush-laden statements

Meghan Markle has written a book called ‘The Bench’ about the very special bond between father and child. Sorry, WHAT? I laughed out loud when the news broke via her ecstatic publishers, and even louder when I read the accompanying gush-laden statementsMs Markle proudly informed us that her debut literary tome captures 'the warmth, joy and comfort of the relationship between fathers and sons from all walks of life'

Ms Markle proudly informed us that her debut literary tome captures ‘the warmth, joy and comfort of the relationship between fathers and sons from all walks of life’She added: 'This representation was particularly important to me ... and I worked closely to depict this special bond through an inclusive lens. My hope is that The Bench resonates with every family, no matter the make-up, as much as it does with mine'+8

She added: ‘This representation was particularly important to me … and I worked closely to depict this special bond through an inclusive lens. My hope is that The Bench resonates with every family, no matter the make-up, as much as it does with mine’

I wonder how much these touching sentiments will resonate with her own family, or her husband’s?

Lest we forget, Ms Markle has ruthlessly disowned her father Thomas and refuses to have anything to do with him despite the fact they now live just 70 miles from each other.

She is also reported to have disowned every other Markle, none of whom were invited to her wedding.

This doesn’t seem like someone overly keen to operate ‘an inclusive lens’ to me.

In fact, it seems a singularly EX-clusive lens.

She also spray-gunned Thomas in her lie-packed Oprah whine-a-thon in a manner that was more ‘ice, rage and irritation’ than ‘warmth, joy and comfort’.

As for Harry, he trashed his father Prince Charles in the same interview, moaning about how Daddy had stopped taking his calls or giving him cash, sounding like some needy spoiled brat teenager rather than a 36-year-old multi-millionaire doormat who ditched his family, country and duty because his chillingly controlling and ambitious wife wanted him to.

And unforgivably, he did this as Charles was desperately worried about HIS father, Prince Philip, who was lying seriously ill in hospital and later died.Ms Markle has ruthlessly disowned her father Thomas and refuses to have anything to do with him despite the fact they now live just 70 miles from each other+8

Ms Markle has ruthlessly disowned her father Thomas and refuses to have anything to do with him despite the fact they now live just 70 miles from each otherAs for Harry, he trashed his father Prince Charles in the same interview, moaning about how Daddy had stopped taking his calls or giving him cash, sounding like some needy spoiled brat teenager rather than a 36-year-old multi-millionaire doormat who ditched his family, country and duty because his chillingly controlling and ambitious wife wanted him to+8

As for Harry, he trashed his father Prince Charles in the same interview, moaning about how Daddy had stopped taking his calls or giving him cash, sounding like some needy spoiled brat teenager rather than a 36-year-old multi-millionaire doormat who ditched his family, country and duty because his chillingly controlling and ambitious wife wanted him to

How does any of this sit with Meghan’s misty-eyed tribute to ‘the warmth, joy and comfort of the relationship between fathers and sons’?

Very, very uneasily, I would suggest.

The pair of them also branded Harry’s royal family a bunch of heartless racists, though no evidence has yet emerged to support any of their outrageously hurtful and damaging claims.

And they repeatedly attacked the institution of the Monarchy and everything it stands for.

Yet when it comes to flogging her book, what author name does Meghan Markle use?

Ah, of course: ‘Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex.’

Yes, she continues to cynically exploit her royal titles because she knows that’s the only reason anyone is paying her vast sums of money to spew her uniquely unctuous brand of pious hectoring gibberish in Netflix documentaries, Spotify podcasts or children’s books.

Of course, her equally cynical publishers don’t give a damn about any of this shocking double standard.

‘Meghan’s touching text explores the relationship between fathers and sons and undeniably tugs at the heartstrings that parents and caregivers feel,’ said Mallory Loehr, publisher of the Random House Books for Young Readers Group.

She cooed that the illustrator’s art ‘beautifully matches the tender emotion of Meghan’s words, and every spread is infused with a vibrant sense of joy and love. The Bench is timeless—it feels destined to become one of those books that people will be reading for generations to come.’And unforgivably, Harry gave the Oprah interview as Charles was desperately worried about HIS father, Prince Philip, who was lying seriously ill in hospital and later died

And unforgivably, Harry gave the Oprah interview as Charles was desperately worried about HIS father, Prince Philip, who was lying seriously ill in hospital and later diedThe pair of them also branded Harry's royal family a bunch of heartless racists, though no evidence has yet emerged to support any of their outrageously hurtful and damaging claims. And they repeatedly attacked the institution of the Monarchy and everything it stands for. Pictured: Prince Charles leads the procession of male royals, including Harry, at his father's funeral

The pair of them also branded Harry’s royal family a bunch of heartless racists, though no evidence has yet emerged to support any of their outrageously hurtful and damaging claims. And they repeatedly attacked the institution of the Monarchy and everything it stands for. Pictured: Prince Charles leads the procession of male royals, including Harry, at his father’s funeral

Hmmm, I don’t wish to rain on the comically sycophantic parade – but I suspect this book will become an instant historical classic for all the wrong reasons.

The whole notion of Meghan Markle dishing out advice to anyone about the relationship between fathers and children is absolutely ridiculous given the appalling relationships she and her husband have with their own fathers.

Yet her brazen decision to do it anyway is so sadly typical of a woman whose tendency for staggering hypocrisy is only matched by her extraordinary tone-deafness.

I’d honestly rather hear parenting tips from Britney Spears’s god-awful father because at least they still talk to each other.

In the press release, Ms Markle is described as ‘a mother, wife, feminist, and activist’ who ‘currently resides in her home state of California with her family, two dogs, and a growing flock of rescue chickens.’

What it didn’t clarify is that she resides with a lot more animals than family members.

In fact, the only three members of her entire family she seems to have any relationship with at all now are Harry, Archie and her mother.

The rest have been discarded along with her ex-husband, and almost every old friend and colleague.

‘What Meghan wants, Meghan gets,’ was Harry’s famous refrain in the build-up to their wedding.

And so far, she’s got exactly what she wanted: the handsome British Prince, the Californian mansion, the millionaire celebrity lifestyle she always craved, and since Oprah’s unquestioning softball PR stunt, the coveted and ferociously-contested status of America’s No1 oppressed victim – a poor innocent waif cruelly mistreated by the beastly racist British royals until she managed to grab her confiscated passport and escape back home.

So far, Ms Markle's got exactly what she wanted: the handsome British Prince, the Californian mansion, the millionaire celebrity lifestyle she always craved, and since Oprah's unquestioning softball PR stunt, the coveted and ferociously-contested status of America's No1 oppressed victim – a poor innocent waif cruelly mistreated by the beastly racist British royals until she managed to grab her confiscated passport and escape back home

So far, Ms Markle’s got exactly what she wanted: the handsome British Prince, the Californian mansion, the millionaire celebrity lifestyle she always craved, and since Oprah’s unquestioning softball PR stunt, the coveted and ferociously-contested status of America’s No1 oppressed victim – a poor innocent waif cruelly mistreated by the beastly racist British royals until she managed to grab her confiscated passport and escape back home

The fact none of this ugly incendiary narrative is true is irrelevant to the people who matter to her – the Hollywood woke brigade for whom a personal version of the truth is far more important than the actual truth.

But what Ms Markle really needs now is some old-fashioned home truth.

THE truth, that is, not HER truth that usually turns out to be of the Princess Pinocchio veracity.

And THE truth is that she’s a cynical disingenuous manipulator intent on wrecking the Royal Family’s image around the world with her shameless, shameful, money-grabbing victim-playing antics, and dragging her hapless husband along for the ride.

This new book about father-children relationships is just another example of Meghan Markle’s never-ending penchant for preaching what she never practices.

If she really cared about father-child relationships, she’d take a chauffeur-driven limousine on the hour-long trip to see her own father who’s never even met either Harry or Archie.

And if she really cared about father-child relationships, she would never have trashed Harry’s family on global TV in the horrible way that she did, causing yet more damage, possibly irreparably, to Harry’s relationship with his father.

But then as we’ve seen from her gruesomely self-interested behavior during a pandemic that’s caused so much devastation and pain to billions around the world, Meghan Markle doesn’t really care about anyone but herself.


DOUBLE DUCH

Meghan Markle accused of copying her kids’ book The Bench from another story with ‘identical cover and illustrations’

  • 5 May 2021, 10:30
  • Updated: 5 May 2021, 11:58

MEGHAN Markle has been accused of stealing her children’s book The Bench from a British author’s 2018 work.

The Duchess of Sussex penned the book after originally writing a poem for Harry’s first Father’s Day from their son Archie, who will turn two next month.

🔵 Read our Meghan and Harry live blog for the latest updates

Meghan Markle has been accused of ripping her book off
Meghan Markle has been accused of ripping her book offCredit: PA
Critics claim it bears similarities with Corrinne Averiss' children's book
Critics claim it bears similarities with Corrinne Averiss’ children’s bookCredit: Amazon

But critics have pointed out it bears similarities with The Boy and The Bench written by Corrinne Averiss.–– ADVERTISEMENT ––about:blank

Both books feature a colourful cover of a bench under a tree surrounded by birds.

And one illustration by award-winning artist Christian Robinson in Meghan’s book shows a dad with his baby boy dozing on a lounger outside.

The text says: “From here you will rest, see the growth of our boy.”

But some have claimed the image is similar to one in The Boy and the Bench, which features a birds-eye view of a dad and son on a bench.

Meghan says she wrote the book after being inspired by Harry and Archie's relationship
Meghan says she wrote the book after being inspired by Harry and Archie’s relationshipCredit: Getty
One of the images from the story shows a dad dozing with his son
One of the images from the story shows a dad dozing with his sonCredit: PA
Some claim it is similar to a picture in Corrinne's book
Some claim it is similar to a picture in Corrinne’s book
Credit: Twitter
Credit: Twitter

One person tweeted: “‘Almost identical to Corrinne Averiss book ‘The Boy On the Bench’, even the cover.”

Another said: “‘I hope the author she ripped off is going to sue her, the cheek of this woman! The Boy on the Bench by Corrinne Averiss.”

While one a third wrote: “Before you run out and waste money on the book by Harry’s first wife, read The Boy on the Bench by Corrinne Averiss and Gabriel Alborozo.

“The original”.

The announcement of Meghan’s £12.99 book came yesterday ahead of its publication on June 8.

The mum-to-be’s pen name is given as Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex.

Credit: Twitter
Credit: Twitter
Credit: Twitter

She will also narrate an audiobook of the tale, which is published by Random House Children’s Books.

Meghan said: “The Bench started as a poem I wrote for my husband on Father’s Day, the month after Archie was born. That poem became this story.

“Christian layered in beautiful and ethereal watercolour illustrations that capture the warmth, joy and comfort of the relationship between fathers and sons from all walks of life.

“This representation was particularly important to me and Christian and I worked closely to depict this special bond through an inclusive lens.

“My hope is that The Bench resonates with every family, no matter the make up, as much as it does with me.”

But royal experts have pointed out it comes at a time when Meghan and Harry’s relationships with their own fathers could not be more strained.

Meghan has not spoken to her father Thomas, 76, for three years and even embroiled him in a High Court privacy case.

Meanwhile Harry, 36, accused his father Prince Charles of being trapped in the Royal ­Family and told Oprah Winfrey in their interview that his family had cut him off financially.

A press release that accompanies the announcement describes it as a story that “touchingly captures the evolving and expanding relationship between fathers and sons and reminds us of the many ways that love can take shape and be expressed in a modern family”.

Harry got a standing ovation on Monday night when he appeared alone at the Vax Live charity event
Harry got a standing ovation on Monday night when he appeared alone at the Vax Live charity eventCredit: Los Angeles Times / Polaris

The publisher also says it is about the “special bond between father and son – as seen through a mother’s eyes. Inspired by her own husband and son”.

A statement describes Meghan as a “mother, wife, feminist, and activist”, who “currently resides in her home state of California with her family, two dogs, and a growing flock of rescue chickens”.

The book’s artist Christian is from California, where Meghan, Harry and Archie live, and has worked with Pixar and Sesame Street.

He recently won a Caldecott Honor and Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor for artwork he produced for Last Stop on Market Street.

Meghan previously wrote a lifestyle blog, The Tig, before marrying into the royal family.

She also penned a piece for Time magazine but this is the first time she has tried her hand at a book.

The former actress has experienced voiceover work though – narrating Disney documentary Elephant after stepping down as a senior royal.

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NOT WRITE

Piers slams ‘hypocrite’ Meghan’s kids’ book after ‘ruining Harry & Charles’ ties’

Her book is the latest project in a long list of work for the couple since they moved to the US.

They signed a £75million Netflix deal and a megabucks deal with Spotify with a docuseries now planned about the Invictus Games.

And Harry got standing ovation as he appeared solo at a Covid concert on Monday night – with US fans saying “he belongs to us now”.

WORLD’S STRONGEST GRANDMA

Powerlifting champ, 71, who spends 20 hours a week lifting weights hits back at claims she’s ‘too old’ to be at the gym

MEET one of the world’s toughest grandmas – an international powerlifting champ who says she looks and feels better than she did 30 years ago. Mary Duffy, 71, took up gym work outs aged 59 in a bid to lose weight, and soon got hooked on lifting weights.

she got the courage to enter her first powerlifting competition in 2014, aged 64
she got the courage to enter her first powerlifting competition in 2014, aged 64 Credit: Courtesy Image
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FUHRER’S FETISHES

Hitler’s sex secrets from claims he was a porn addict who liked to be kicked to incestuous affair with niece

TO his slavish followers, Adolf Hitler was a clean-living man who shunned sex in order to maintain a peak of physical fitness. But behind closed doors, the dictator was a sado-masochist who liked women to kick him and even urinating on him, according to a new documentary.

Hitler publicly shunned sex but enjoyed S&M behind doors, the documentary claims
Hitler publicly shunned sex but enjoyed S&M behind doors, the documentary claims
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A DUTCH couple has moved into Europe’s first fully 3D-printed house – which could change the way we live in the future

Elize Lutz and Harrie Dekkers’ bizarre new home is a 94-square meter two-bed bungalow in Eindhoven which looks a giant boulder with windows.

A Dutch couple has moved into Europe’s first fully 3D-printed house
A Dutch couple has moved into Europe’s first fully 3D-printed house Credit: AFP
Continue reading “A DUTCH couple has moved into Europe’s first fully 3D-printed house – which could change the way we live in the future”

ТРЕТИЙ ОКРУГ. Площадь Вогезов, 21. Сименон и труп без головы (1924)

В октябре или ноябре 1924 года в особняке кардинала Ришелье — где, впрочем, сам кардинал не жил, зато жил его внучатый племянник, маршал де Ришелье, — поселился двадцатиоднолетний целеустремленный, талантливый, циничный, развращенный бельгийский журналист Жорж Сименон со своей женой Режин Реншон, которую все звали просто Тижи.

Дом номер 21 на площади Вогезов стал на целых шестнадцать лет первым и, по сути, единственным парижским адресом главного детективного писателя Франции. Он и сам был героем — или антигероем — романа своей жизни, не менее увлекательного, чем, скажем, «Мегрэ и труп без головы»: кстати, обезглавленный труп в жизни Сименона тоже фигурировал. Не было роли из криминального репертуара, которую он не сыграл бы: свидетель, обвиняемый, следователь, пособник.

Из двухкомнатной квартиры на первом этаже, окнами во двор, супруги уже в конце 1927 года переехали на третий этаж в апартаменты окнами на площадь, сквер Людовика XIII, конную статую короля и четыре фонтана.

Les secrets de la Place des Vosges - La statue de Louis XIII

Независимо от расположения окон и этажа, сам факт проживания здесь уже был симптомом успеха. Торжественная и просторная, обрамленная огромными, трехэтажными особняками из красного кирпича, почти квадратная площадь, старейшая в Париже (после площади Дофина), — вдохновенный ансамбль, возведенный в начале XVII века. Место, кстати, тоже не без зловещего прошлого. Раньше здесь стоял особняк Турнель, разрушенный в 1563 году по приказу Екатерины Медичи, чтобы стереть саму память о месте, где 10 июля 1559 года умер ее муж Генрих II, случайно, но смертельно раненный в глаз на турнире капитаном шотландской гвардии Габриелем де Монтгомери.

Continue reading “ТРЕТИЙ ОКРУГ. Площадь Вогезов, 21. Сименон и труп без головы (1924)”

Первая публикация Джейн Фонды в журнале Пари Матч

Jane Fonda, son premier rendez-vous avec Match

Paris Match | Publié le 01/05/2021 à 15h00 Clément Mathieu

В 1959 году Джейн Фонда впервые опубликовалась в Матч.

Первый раз Матч пообщался с Джейн Фондой в Нью-Йорке в ноябре 1959 года в гостиной ее отца, Генри Фонда. Молодая актриса, получившая несколько советов от легендарного актёра, известного по фильмам « Адская погоня » и “Двенадцать сердитых мужчин”, только что дебютировала на Бродвее. В театре Cort на 48-й улице Джейн играет в спектакле ” Жила-была маленькая девочка” (There was a little girl), поставленном Джошуа Логаном. Он и подвигнет ее пойти в кино. “Джейн Фонда будет звездой, как папа”, – обещает матч в своем номере 553 :

“Новая фаворитка Голливуда, 22-летняя незнакомка с уже престижным именем: Джейн Фонда, дочь актера Генри Фонда. Она снимает свой первый фильм, Tall Story, с самым востребованным молодым премьером в мире : Тони Перкинсом. Ее открыл режиссер Джошуа Логан. Для этого ему не пришлось далеко ходить : Логан-друг семьи. Но Джейн, независимая и спортивная, и слышать не хотела о кино. Когда она потеряла мать, в двенадцать лет, она решила, что будет художницей, и приехала в Париж: “я не выношу актеров,-говорила она,-кроме отца.”Сегодня, когда ей говорят, что она похожа на знаменитую звезду Брижит Бардо, Джейн встряхивает своими светлыми волосами : “нет,-говорит она, – я похожа на Генри Фонда”. »

Jane Fonda, New York, fin 1959. Paul Slade / Paris Match Voir le diaporama (23)

Виталий Гречин: “Извиняться не буду! Да, жопную команду сколотил я и двоих из неё трахнул … правда не зараз”

‘I WON’T APOLOGISE’

I organised the Butt Squad and slept with two of the girls… but not at the same time

Exclusive

  • 29 Apr 2021, 20:08

TEETERING on a skyscraper balcony in broad daylight, 17 nubile, naked models preened for the camera.

The eye-catching image, which spread like wildfire on social media, would have stopped traffic in anything-goes Amsterdam.

The images were shared on the party’s private WhatsApp group before an unknown person leaked them to social media
The images were shared on the party’s private WhatsApp group before an unknown person leaked them to social mediaCredit: Instagram

In the conservative emirate of Dubai, it led to arrests of the women for “public debauchery”. Another snap from the Dubai apartment that day showed a balding, bespectacled, middle-aged man playing piano surrounded by 21 stark-naked women. Stocky and unshaven, US businessman Vitaliy Grechin, 41, is not everyone’s idea of an international playboy. But he is the man of mystery — today revealed by The Sun — who masterminded the stunt that shocked and titillated the world. Vitaliy has deep pockets, picking up the tab for the $13,500 (£9,700) all-expenses-paid trip for his so-called “Butt Squad”. But it was all in a day’s fun for him. He says: “I live the way 90 per cent of heterosexual males on this planet would like to live but don’t. And I don’t want to apologise for it.” The US citizen was held by the Dubai authorities after the photos went viral earlier this month. Shortly afterwards, images emerged of Vitaliy posing with former US President Barack Obama and Hollywood stars George Clooney and Sylvester Stallone.

Vitaliy was held on suspicion of being involved in prostitution and pornography
Vitaliy was held on suspicion of being involved in prostitution and pornography Credit: Vitaliy Grechin

His Facebook page is plastered with pictures of him in exotic locations with glamorous young women. Adding further intrigue, he claims he met Obama at the White House, served with US Army Intelligence and donated to the Democratic Party. He invites me to view a Russian social media page featuring pictures of him with Gwyneth Paltrow and Tom Hanks. He says: “I’m much more than a few naked girls on a balcony.” Today Vitaliy languishes in Dubai — long after his female associates were deported. Speaking to me via mobile phone, he reveals he tested positive for Covid while being held for around 20 days behind bars, before he too was released without charge. Although showing no symptoms, he says he is locked away in a ten-day enforced quarantine before hopefully leaving Dubai next week. Saddled with a six-figure legal bill to sort out the mess, he says of the isolation facility: “It’s not a prison but I can’t leave the room and everything I do is monitored.” Vitaliy insists his Butt Squad are just “friends” and not involved in prostitution — nor was the balcony pose a publicity stunt or promotion of any sort.

Another snap from the Dubai apartment that day showed a balding, bespectacled, middle-aged man playing piano surrounded by 21 stark-naked women
Another snap from the Dubai apartment that day showed a balding, bespectacled, middle-aged man playing piano surrounded by 21 stark-naked women Credit: East2West

The father of one told me: “What the girls did is wrong, based on the laws of Dubai. But we are talking about a bunch of very young, excited, open-minded, reg- ular girls who have nothing to do with escorting, modelling or anything else. “In Dubai, everything is on camera. If we had other guys coming over, if these girls were prostituting, it would all show up.” He admits sleeping with two of the Butt Squad, explaining: “I’ve had sexual relations with two of these girls. And not at the same time. We’re normal people.” The now-famous pictures made their splash on social media late on April 3. What happens in Dubai normally stays in Dubai — as long as it is behind closed doors. Though conservative on the surface, the Gulf playground is also a city of sleaze where an estimated 30,000 call girls and escorts ply their trade.

Vitaliy served with US Army Intelligence and donated to the Democratic Party
Vitaliy served with US Army Intelligence and donated to the Democratic Party

The sharing of pornographic material is punishable with prison time and hefty fines under local laws, which are based on Islamic or Sharia law. Little wonder, then, that 17 naked women lined up in plain sight on the penthouse balcony provoked arrests. One of them, 27-year-old lawyer Yana Graboshchuk, said the authorities clamped down hard on them and treated them like “animals” behind bars. Earlier, her family said they thought she had gone on holiday to Dubai and were “shocked” when they saw the pictures.

Vitaliy, who is teetotal, said of the Butt Squad: “To understand the mentality of these women you have to understand the culture they come from. It’s a much more open society. “They look at Instagram and Playboy magazine and feel sometimes it’s OK if you’re beautiful to show the outline of your figure. “That doesn’t mean they want to participate in a filmed orgy or porn. There is a clear difference in our culture between something that is sexual and something that is aesthetically pleasing and beautiful.”

Vitaliy (pictured far right) remains in Dubai following the Butt Squad furore
Vitaliy (pictured far right) remains in Dubai following the Butt Squad furore Credit: Vitaliy Grechin

Vitaliy paid for the women and Russian photographer Alexander Ten to go on the Dubai jaunt. He says he throws similar trips to exotic destinations each month. The group spent that day at a swimming pool and a restaurant before going to Russian IT boss Alexei Kontsov’s penthouse in the upmarket Marina district. After stripping off their swimwear, Vitaliy says, some of the women went on to the balcony to take a photo with the dramatic view. “It wasn’t planned or premeditated,” he insists. “No one was forced to do anything. I organised the trip but not the shoot because there was no shoot. “It wasn’t intended to be a publicity stunt. We didn’t have anything to promote.”

The businessman strikes a pose next to Hollywood actor George Clooney
The businessman strikes a pose next to Hollywood actor George Clooney Credit: Vitaliy Grechin

Vitaliy says an unknown neighbour in a block overlooking Kontsov’s flat then filmed the women and uploaded the images to social media. He says: “We have no idea who filmed it or why. They’re the ones producing the pornography and distributing it, not us.” Inside the flat, the now-famous image of the Butt Squad’s bare bottoms was taken and another of the women as Vitaliy played piano. He reveals: “I was playing Beethoven and Mozart, classical piano. It’s not an explicit photo.” The images were shared on the party’s private WhatsApp group before an unknown person leaked them to social media. These photos went viral too, provoking the ire of the Dubai authorities. Vitaliy adds: “They were private photos of a private group of friends. They weren’t meant to be public.”

Images emerged in the media of Vitaliy posing with former US President Barack Obama
Images emerged in the media of Vitaliy posing with former US President Barack Obama Credit: Vitaliy Grechin

Squad member Nataliya Chuprina, 23, called the balcony photo a “souvenir”, a “keepsake for ourselves”. The following day, half the party, including photographer Ten, flew back to Eastern Europe. Vitaliy and Kontsov were held on suspicion of being involved in prostitution and pornography. A dozen of the women were detained the next day. All faced hefty fines or even jail. But prosecutors instead deported the women, banning them from Dubai for five years. Kontsov too was later deported. Vitaliy adds: “The girls showed a lack of responsibility. They’re sorry for what they have done. They’ve gone through hell. But there was no ill intent.” Born in Kiev, Ukraine, Vitaliy moved to the US aged ten, the only child of doctor Daniel and accountant Raisa. They settled in a suburb of Detroit, what Vitaliy calls “a Jewish immigrant family . . . with $1,000 in our pockets”.

Vitaliy Grechin with Sylvester Stallone
Vitaliy Grechin with Sylvester Stallone Credit: Vitaliy Grechin

He says he joined the US Army and did intelligence work in the wake of 9/11, helping translate Soviet-made weapons manuals used by the Taliban in Afghanistan. American authorities confirmed to The Sun that Vitaliy was a member of the US Army Reserve, serving as translator/interpreter from 1998 to 2005, holding the rank of “specialist” as his service ended. He says: “I joined the US Army out of patriotic feelings. It also helped me pay my way through college.” In 2008, he says, he brokered a property deal in Kiev for an investment group which earned him “a decent bonus”. He then founded a Ukrainian finance company and sold three-quarters of it to Finstar Financial Group, a private equity firm owned by Russian billionaire Oleg Boyko. That made Vitaliy a rich man. He tells me: “On that deal alone I made a few million dollars.”

They were private photos of a private group of friends. They weren’t meant to be public.Vitaliy Grechin. Records of America’s Federal Election Commission seen by The Sun show Vitaliy donated more than £100,000 to the Democratic Party and Obama’s campaign funds. He made 33 separate donations between 2008 and 2012 and has been pictured with Obama as well as former Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. On social media he can be seen at functions with acting A-listers Ben Affleck and Kate Hudson and rocker Jon Bon Jovi. Married with a son of 13, Vitaliy’s globetrotting lifestyle included once-a-month parties with beautiful women he says are his friends. Their destinations include Thailand, Bali, the Maldives and, for Vitaliy’s birthday in February, the Carpathian Mountains of Eastern Europe.

Vitaliy made 33 separate donations between 2008 and 2012 and has been pictured with Obama as well as former Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton
Vitaliy made 33 separate donations between 2008 and 2012 and has been pictured with Obama as well as former Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton Credit: Vitaliy Grechin