Since the start of the Ukraine war, Vladimir Putin has increasingly relied on his secret train. For a photographer, interest became danger.
Moscow – To the President of Russia there are quite a few myths. Not least because he is as careful as possible to isolate himself from the public, reports about Putin’s luxury palace on the Black Sea or his health keep making waves. At least since the beginning of Ukraine War the warmonger’s mysterious move also draws attention. For a train spotter, interest in the vehicle became dangerous.
“Normal mortals don’t travel on such a train,” wrote Mikhail Korotkov when he first published an image of the so-called ghost train in November 2018. His comment, together with the photo, is still on one archived version of the Rutrain website can be seen, makes his attitude towards Wladimir Putin more than clear: “Behind the drawn curtains on the windows of the carriages of this train lies darkness and decay.” He describes the president himself as “the most terrible person in this country.”
Putin’s paranoia in the Ukraine war: President increasingly uses secret train
Nevertheless, the moment of admission was a happy one for Korotkov, as he reflected in the conversation with the Washington Post remind. For years he had tried to catch Putin’s train. According to reports from Russian investigative media, there is a secret network of rails and stations only for the President, who was already in place before the invasion Ukraine is said to have become increasingly paranoid. He is said to be using the train more and more now.
Russia in the Ukraine war: Putin’s environment threatens train enthusiasts
Nevertheless, it took a few years for Putin’s environment to take notice of the train enthusiast. In May 2021, after Korotkov had already published several footage of the ghost train, he received strange messages on his YouTube channel: verbatim transcripts of private messages between himself and a friend. A clear warning for him, like him Washington Post told. “I told my parents my life was in danger.”
Eventually the fear got too big. Along with several men who after the Announcement of partial mobilization fled Russia, Korotkov left the country. He now lives in exile. His didn’t match Russia’s, he says. On his Youtube channel he now uploads travel videos instead of train shots. (vbu)
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