Russian celebrities, known for their wealth and influence, have recently drawn intense criticism for their lavish escapades in the Western world. This has stirred up strong reactions from politicians, soldiers, and pro-Kremlin media figures back home.

Images and clips circulating online capture Russian socialites and influencers indulging in skiing, sipping champagne, and strutting down a red carpet in Courchevel, a luxury resort in Europe. These carefree activities starkly contrast with the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

Notably, Ksenia Sobchak, a prominent TV personality and socialite, was among the attendees. Sobchak, often referred to as Vladimir Putin’s ‘goddaughter,’ is a key figure in Russian media, and her late father, Anatoly Sobchak, is credited with helping Putin rise to power after the Soviet Union dissolved.

The controversy erupted following a glamorous event hosted by Rendez-Vous, a high-end shoe and fashion retailer. The company flew a host of celebrities to Courchevel to mark its 25th anniversary and celebrate 16 years since launching its boutique in the resort.

Besides Sobchak, notable attendees included Oksana Samoylova, an influencer with a massive Instagram following and mother of four, supermodel Lena Perminova with her Ukrainian model partner Taras Romanov, and Alexander Rogov, a celebrity stylist and TV host on Russia’s state-run Channel One.

Influencers posed on the slopes, skied and snowboarded by day — and by night attended a ‘gala dinner’, complete with a red carpet rolled out directly onto the snow.

Photos show venues including La Folie Douce, Courchevel’s famous après-ski hotspot, and Chalet de l’Écailler, a high-end seafood restaurant on the slopes.

According to conservative pro-war news outlet Tsargrad TV, the tour took place at a luxury hotel where rooms start at €8,600 a night (£7,450).

Russia’s super-rich celebrities have been partying in the hated West, sparking a furious backlash at home

Among those partying in the French Alps was Vladimir Putin’s own ‘goddaughter’ Ksenia Sobchak (pictured, right)

The backlash was immediate and brutal from Russia, where Putin has previously slapped down A-listers including Sobchak for partying during his bloody war

Guests were reportedly treated to oysters, prosciutto, jamón and premium alcohol, with one dinner alone costing up to 1 million rubles (£9,700).

Entertainment around the resort allegedly included private helicopter flights costing thousands of pounds.

The celebrities were accused of indulging in £560 a bottle Veuve Clicquot champagne and meals at La Folie Douce at £970 a head.

The backlash was immediate and brutal from Russia, where Putin has previously slapped down A-listers including Sobchak for partying during his bloody war in Ukraine, believing it undermines the sacrifices of his cannon fodder troops.

Prominent socialite commentator Bozhena Rynska wrote: ‘This isn’t just marketing nonsense…

‘It’s a challenge. It’s a loud, ‘F** you!’

She claimed that Courchevel – popular with the Putin rich set before the war – had now become ‘a symbol of sanctions evasion and public privilege’

Guests were reportedly treated to oysters, prosciutto, jamón and premium alcohol, with one dinner alone costing up to 1 million rubles (£9,700)

PR expert Milena Dorokhina said Russians were outraged ‘by the ostentatious luxury without regard for context

The Rendez-Vous event ‘irritates everyone at once: those who are for the war — they’re eating hazel grouse while the boys are dying — and those who are against it…

‘This is a case where a campaign manages to be disgusting to everyone.’

Propagandist pro-war ‘Z-channels’ exploded with rage, while REN TV – part of a media group headed by 73-year-old Putin’s lover Alina Kabaeva, 42 – quoted music producer Sergei Dvortsov, who said: ‘While our boys fight, giving their lives for us, our stars are having a blast, living in luxury with big money.

‘Their mistake is a show of wealth and luxury… in times of plague.’

PR expert Milena Dorokhina said Russians were outraged ‘by the ostentatious luxury without regard for context.

‘When a mass-market brand showcases private jets and Courchevel, it automatically causes irritation.’

Some videos even showed SVO fighters recording angry messages, accusing celebrities of partying while soldiers die.

‘You’re showing off your swagger while we’re spilling blood,’ one clip declared.

Ukrainian rescuers work to extinguish a burning petrol truck following an air attack in Kyiv, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Russian strikes killed one person and injured 23 others in Ukraine’s capital and the northeastern city of Kharkiv overnight, authorities said early on January 24, 2026

Ukrainian emmergency personnel work to extinguish a fire at the site of an air attack in Kyiv on January 24, 2026

Firebrand State Duma deputy Vitaly Milonov likened the partying to the work of the devil, urging Russians to boycott the Rendez-Vous brand.

The anger has also come from Rendez-Vous employees and customers, who say bonuses are being cut while management splashes millions abroad.

One comment said: ‘Disgusting! It would have been better to send the money to the guys at the front.’

An employee of Rendez-Vous complained: ‘This is how you ruin a brand — expensively and spectacularly.’

Even fashion gossip outlet Tatler’s Heroine mocked the spectacle as a ‘textbook on how to make everyone hate you.’

A furious commenter said: ‘They’re dominating Europe, humiliating it with Russian flags and champagne — while ordinary people are told to tighten their belts.’

Another said: ‘These aren’t Russians, they’re parasites.

‘Leave them there [in the West]. Lock the door from the inside.

‘The confiscated funds could keep the war going for years.’

Alina Mieva, marketing director of Rendez-Vous, defended the publicity trip, and said it also included private jet trips to Paris and Geneva – despite Western sanctions.

She said the company also ran such trips to Krasnodar region, close to the war zone.