This residence belonging to a Russian oligarch is in the crosshairs of the authorities.
Full view on the harbor, 800 m2 of belle époque style. Behind its monumental gate, it was one of the most discreet residences in Villefranche-sur-mer. However, this mansion, which has had several lives, is one of the most exposed properties of the moment. The Russian oligarch Victor RASHNIKOV has been the owner for the past fifteen years. Today, the businessman who made his fortune in steel can no longer dispose of his property because of the financial sanctions in force since the invasion of Ukraine by Russia. The assets - real estate in particular - of a black list of Russian oligarchs are frozen until further notice.
What would be its value in 2022?
Officially acquired for 83 million euros in 2007, Nellcote has since been completely renovated. Its value would possibly be 110 to 150 million but Victor RASHNIKOV has little hope of seeing the color in the current state of affairs. Even if the confiscation of a property is legally contestable in France, the European Union is demanding that it be put up for sale - just like about thirty other oligarchs' homes on the French Riviera - to finance the reconstruction effort in Ukraine.
By way of comparison, neighboring plots are trading at around 50,000 euros per meter, according to the daily Nice Matin.
Melody in the basement
In the summer of 1971, the rather faded villa resounds with the sound of rock guitars. Nellcote saw the birth of a Rolling Stones album: Exile On Mainstreet, the band's one and only double LP. Love at first sight. The place inspires Keith Richards who chooses to settle there with his girlfriend and his son. This improvised recording studio has a particular acoustic in its basement. A book with pictures testifies of this musical parenthesis. And the incredible past of a villa whose owners have been marked by history.
For the book Les Rolling Stones et la Villa Nellcote, la véritable histoire d'une villa mythique , i've invited the journalist Benoît JARRY in my audio podcast.
The photographer Dominique TARLÉ lived that summer in black and white, in the intimacy of the group.
The whole interview is to be found in this episode of July 2021.