The young man appeared lifeless as he sat on a bench on the Lungomare esplanade in Forte dei Marmi. His youthful features and stylish attire contrasted with his motionless state. When we tried to wake him, his head slumped back. Concerned, someone called for help. Meanwhile, the scene continued to play out around us. Bicycles with wicker baskets cruised by slowly, and elegantly dressed women carrying extravagant raffia bags strolled past. As we awaited medical assistance, a man searched the boy’s pockets and retrieved something unexpected. It turned out to be a substantial sum of money, a bundle of €500 and €200 notes. The sight of the cash left us pondering whether the boy was somehow involved with a wealthy group known as “them,” a euphemism for Russians in Forte dei Marmi.
Forte dei Marmi is a charming seaside village nestled beneath the Italian Alps. Its existence revolves around a 20km stretch of sandy beach along the Tuscan coast. I am quite familiar with this place, as I have fond memories of visiting as a child. The enchanting architecture, adorned with milk-mint green wrought-iron window grates, picturesque terraces, and marble-tiled squares adorned with pink flowers, made me feel safe and captivated. Despite residing in a neighboring town, I would always insist on holidaying in Forte dei Marmi. Even as a teenager, I found solace in wandering its promenades, feeling akin to Holly Golightly on her ten-speed bicycle.
Throughout its history, Forte dei Marmi has attracted pleasure-seekers from various walks of life. Artists like Arnold Böcklin, John Singer Sargent, and Isolde Kurz discovered its allure in the late 19th century. Notable figures such as the Agnellis, the Siemens, Thomas Mann, and Aldous Huxley, who penned his first novel here, brought an era of glamour to the area. Renowned performers like Ray Charles, Édith Piaf, and Grace Jones graced the stage of Forte’s Capannina club, where the legendary Negroni cocktail is said to have been invented for Count Negroni (although other places make this claim as well). More recently, oligarchs and celebrities have made Forte dei Marmi their home, including the likes of Silvio Berlusconi, Giorgio Armani, Oleg Deripaska, and Oleg Tinkov.
Unlike other Mediterranean hotspots like Monaco and Porto Cervo, Forte dei Marmi possesses an air of mystery, an inconspicuous place for the conspicuously wealthy. The village center is patrolled by security cars at night, and guards in black ties safeguard the entrances to luxurious villas. Many of these opulent residences are nestled behind thick pine gardens, creating an illusion of seamless continuity from one estate to another.
Naturally, the concentration of the super-rich within Forte’s limited 9 sq km has driven real estate prices to staggering heights. Villas can be rented for €400,000 during the summer season, hotel rooms average €900 per night, and a spot on the beach can cost up to €500 a day. Notably, Datcha, the ultra-luxury residence owned by Russian-Cypriot tycoon Oleg Tinkov, can be booked for a week at €100,000 or approximately €1 million for the entire season. The clientele in Forte dei Marmi is predominantly Russian or Eastern European.
In my younger years, tales about the growing Russian presence in Forte began circulating, often embellished with each retelling. I remember hearing a story in school about a Russian driver who allegedly hit a Vespa and handed the young rider €10,000 in cash to keep quiet. Friends my age who secured seasonal jobs in Forte would return with stories of being tipped with iPhones and enjoying €500 bottles of wine. There was even a bizarre anecdote about a cleaner being instructed to flush the toilet on behalf of Russian tenants in one of the holiday villas.
According to local sources and reports in the Italian press, both Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelenskyy are rumored to own villas in Forte dei Marmi. When I inquired about Putin’s alleged residence, a local hotelier confirmed its existence, although Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissed the claim as “nonsense.” San Tommaso SRL, a company that owns property in Forte, acknowledged that the Ukrainian president’s family are shareholders. However, Zelenskyy’s spokesperson declined to comment on the matter.
Recently, the Anti-Corruption Foundation led by Alexei Navalny revealed that relatives of Yevgeny Prigozhin, the founder of the Wagner Group and a former associate of Putin, own a €3.5 million mansion in Forte. According to the organization, Russians own approximately 2,500 of the 7,000 homes in Forte dei Marmi. With the escalation of the war in 2022, many members of the Russian-speaking elite have sought refuge in this idyllic coastal village permanently.
I arrived at the Principe hotel to meet Elena Davsar, a 41-year-old Russian business coach and prominent figure within Forte dei Marmi’s Russian community. Davsar, who launched a Russian-language blog titled “My Forte dei Marmi” in 2017, offers insight into the heart of this community. We dined at Lux Lucis, the Michelin-starred rooftop restaurant of the Principe hotel, where I eagerly asked if it was the only Michelin-starred establishment in Forte. Davsar smiled and informed me that there are, in fact, five Michelin-starred restaurants in the area, all of which can be found in her guide.
Davsar initially had reservations before agreeing to meet with me, but as our dinner progressed, she warmed up to me. We enjoyed an aromatic aperitivo on the terrace while watching the sun set over the Mediterranean Sea. “Forte is my grande amore,” she declared, absorbing the breathtaking view. In the distance, an elevator bulkhead painted with the colors of the Ukrainian flag caught our attention. A perfect rainbow materialized before us, prompting an American couple to request a photo. With that, we made our way to our reserved corner table. The attentive staff placed our handbags on miniature leather ottomans, and we settled in. Before commencing our conversation, Davsar made it clear that she would not delve into the political situation. Instead, she preferred to refer to the community as “Russophone,” distancing herself from any political connotations.
Seven years ago, Davsar fulfilled her childhood dream of living by the sea when an Italian friend offered her the keys to a house in Forte dei Marmi. “Just like that, my dream came true,” she reminisced. Her anecdotes of life in Forte paint a picture akin to a Mediterranean version of “Emily in Paris.” Morning runs along the Lungomare, leisurely teas at five o’clock, art vernissages in pine gardens, boutique openings, villa parties, and days spent exploring the Ligurian coast by sailboat fill her leisure time. Although she claims not to be particularly social, she does attend events to reunite with friends, despite receiving countless invitations.
As the war began, Davsar rebranded her blog to rid it of any political undertones. She changed its name and URL from “Fortedeimarmi.RF” to its current form to dissociate it from Russian nationalism fully. Her website, which also operates as an Instagram account with over 5,000 followers, focuses on cultural events, beach parties, and hiking adventures in Forte dei Marmi.
One aspect that sets Forte apart is its commitment to discretion, appealing to a distinct type of individual. Davsar impresses me with her flawless Italian, which eclipses my own abilities, and she kindly overlooks my occasional slips into English. As we savor a conceptual eggy broth, I inquire about her decision to create a website in Russian despite her impressive linguistic skills. “There is a substantial Russian-speaking population in Forte,” she explains. “I created my website for them.” Has their presence intensified since the onset of the war? Davsar subtly nods her petite, ponytailed head. “Many families have relocated to Forte permanently and now spend the entire year here,” she reveals. “There are over 300 families” (according to Il Messaggero, the number exceeds 500). Forte’s…
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