There are millions of ways to rank countries. Whatever it may be, it’s guaranteed that someone, somewhere will be at both the top and the bottom of the list. Since no criteria will fully capture a country’s essence, we decided to list down the most lavish official residences of world leaders.
Think of it as an episode of Cribs from MTV. This time, instead of Hugh Hefner, we are looking at the crib of Vladimir Putin.
Tokyo Imperial Palace
Japan’s Emperor lives at the Tokyo Imperial Palace. The building has ancient, breathtaking architecture and rich history. The Imperial Palace of Tokyo ticks all of the “royalty” boxes. Tokyo’s official residence resembles that of a gigantic park, especially the grounds. The grounds are dominated by flowing water and verdant gardens. For years, public access has been limited to only two days a year. You can visit the palace on New Year and on the Emperor’s birthday. Each glimpse of the palace, no matter how fleeting, is a reminder to the visitors of how good it is to be a king. In this case, an emperor.
The White House
The White House is the official residence of the President of the United States, and it is in Washington, DC. USA’s commander-in-chief gets to live in the most recognizable residence in the world, all thanks to the residence’s Greek revival detailing and striking color. Beyond the iconic chambers such as the Map Room and the Oval Office, the White House is equipped with perks including a movie theater, a swimming pool, and a bowling alley that’s been set in place back when Truman was President. If you are looking for something that a palace doesn’t have, we’ll give you the answer: a couple of sweet marble columns.
The Moscow Kremlin
The Moscow Kremlin in Moscow, Russia houses Russia’s president. Although Pres. Vladimir Putin has lots of residences, official or not official, the Moscow Kremlin is hard to beat in terms of aesthetics, history, and sheer size. Yes, the residence of the Russian President is at the Senate Building of the Kremlin. However, as a whole, the Kremlin compound is more than just the sleeping quarters of Putin. Vladimir can basically do anything that he wants with the Moscow Kremlin. After all, who’s going to stop him?
Rashtrapati Bhavan
Rashtrapati Bhavan, in New Delhi, India, is where India’s President lives. It was originally constructed back in 1929. The massive compound includes the presidential mansion that has 340 rooms, as well as 320 acres of beautiful gardens. The compound also includes the housing for the household staff, and tons and tons of lavishness. Aside from being absolutely massive, the President’s official residence is also open for public viewing.
The home of the Indian President has a unique color scheme. Its clay courtyard is powdery red, its gardens are green, its sandstone architecture is soft brown. Speaking of sandstone, Rashtrapati Bhavan was created using 700 million bricks. Surely the big bad wolves won’t be able to blow this one down.
