Last week, Russian social media was stuck to the toilet. It was, however, a good one.Alexei Safonov was the head of traffic police for the south Stavropol area. He was charged with organizing a criminal gang which received $250,000 in bribes at cargo companies. The rich interiors of Safonov's home, where Russian taxpayers likely spent a lot of money, made the story less popular than the $250,000 in bribes from cargo companies. Marble floors, crystal chandeliers and thrones, instead of chairs, were all featured in the interiors of Safonov's house. There was also gold everywhere on walls, doors and ceilings. One Russian joked that Prince Charles had rejected the title of royal and said that he would like to lead traffic police in Stavropol. One Facebook commenter said that the house's design is predictable. The lack of imagination.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementIn Russia, gold toilets are a common sight over the years. They are used to symbolize corruption, lack of taste, or both. Moscow Komsomolets, a Russian newspaper, stated that corrupt politicians have learned how steal money but not how spend it.These toilets don't contain actual gold; they are made from gold-plated ceramic. They typically cost around $2,000. You can get a commode with an 18-karat layer for as low as $30,000. Royal Toiletry Global sells gold ships and lavatories worldwide. It says that you can buy a commode with a thin 18-karat gold layer starting at $30,000.AdvertisementJonathan Cadazi is the manager of Royal Toiletry Global. He said that our main customer is someone who wants luxury and to be different from the grey and boring. Who doesn't love gold toilets? Saudis and Russians are the most likely to love gold toilets. Saudis love gold and Russians are eager to show their friends how much they can afford. Customers in Europe, America, Australia and elsewhere have built new homes and are looking for a luxurious and beautiful bathroom.AdvertisementEven international experts recognized that Russians have a special relationship to gold toilets. I reached out to Vladimir Priorov, who owns the Russian website tualet.ru. (tualet is toilet) He said that he couldn't reveal the identity of anyone who buys gold toilets. This is not because toilet distributor-customer confidentiality is very strict. I was told by Priorov that contractors or designers place orders for buyers. The ultimate buyer remains unknown. Priorov did explain the motivations behind gold lavatories. Priorov explained that gold is a symbol of high status since ancient times. This is why gold is used to decorate furniture and walls.AdvertisementGlobal leaders have been accused, among other things, of operating their businesses on a gold toilet. But some of these allegations are not true. Here's what we know.Former Ukrainian President Viktor YanukovychTransparency International Ukraine ranked Viktor Yanukovych as the most corrupt politician in 2017. He was widely believed to have a gold toilet. Social media has been flooded with photos of Yanukovych's alleged water closet, which showed a veritable throne adorned with lion heads. Yanukovych fled Russia in 2014 after he was defeated. Journalists raced inside Yanukovych's luxury home to snap pictures of his wealth, as he had no guards. Reporters discovered many unusual things in the home, including a private zoo, a golf course and even a galleon. However, there was not one gold toilet. These photos turned out to be fake. Instead, reporters found a mysterious loaf of gold bread. Yanukovych received this unexpected gift from the head of a Ukrainian bakery as a birthday present. The loaf of gold bread was later stolen.AdvertisementAdvertisementTurkish President Recep Tayyip ErdoganTurkey's opposition leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu hinted in 2015 that Erdogan, who is known for spending excessively, owned his own golden toilet. At a rally in Ankara before the parliamentary elections, Kilicdaroglu stated that Ankara's gentlemen have their own toilets. He said, "Guys, palaces have been built, planes purchased, Mercedes cars bought golden seats have been purchased, that's how you use it." He was offended and invited his opponent into the $600 million palace to search for the golden toilet. Erdogan said he would resign if Kilicdaroglu found a golden toilet. The search could have taken a long time, since the president's complex contained 1150 rooms and possibly dozens of bathrooms. But Kilicdaroglu refused the legal palace threshold. He explained that he wasn't specifically referring to Erdogan, but rather rich officials in general. Erdogan still filed a lawsuit against Erdogan for lying, but the court ruled that the defendant should be allowed to criticize the government.AdvertisementDonald TrumpThe obsession with gold is not something that the former president of the United States has hidden. The interior of his $100 million New York penthouse, designed in Louis XIV style and decorated with 24-carat Gold, is a stunning example. He prefers shiny metal in business as well: The Trump International Hotel Las Vegas' glass coating is also 24-carat Gold.AdvertisementHe asked the Guggenheim Museum to lend Vincent van Gogh's Landscape With Snow to him in 2017. Trump was offered something more by the museum: a solid-gold toilet. Maurizio Cattelans piece of 18-karat art, America was valued at $6 million and fully functional. It was installed at the Guggenheim's bathroom for almost a year. More than 100,000 museum visitors used it until it was given to Trump. It was a humorous statement about capitalism and excessive wealth. The artist explained that no matter what you eat, whether it's a two hundred dollar lunch or a hot dog for two dollars, the results are the exact same. Trump apparently didn't appreciate the museum's generous offer and declined the offer. It is not known where the exhibit item is currently located. In 2019, it was taken from Blenheim Palace in England. This probably would not have happened if Trump had agreed to keep it.AdvertisementSaddam HusseinSaddam Hussein, the former Iraqi President, had around 100 palaces. He was also rumored as having several gold toilets. When the U.S. troops entered dictator's palaces in 2003, they found many royal fixtures. On the internet, you can see pictures of soldiers lying on French Baroque-style sofas and in gold-covered seats. Although photos of the bathrooms appear to show some kind of golden toilets they are not the same as the Guggenheim art piece. A Basra palace toilet was decorated with a gold print, but not enough to make it a true golden toilet. Yochi Dreazen, Wall Street Journal reporter, was also stuck in Hussein's Tikrit bathroom. He wrote about the toilets with a print that had a little bit of gold, but not enough to make it resemble Cattelans solid-gold sculpture.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementVladimir PutinRussian opposition leader Alexei Navalny released a documentary, Putins Palace, in January about a $1.4 Billion villa that is allegedly owned by Putin. The Kremlin has denied the claims. The shots included images of an underground swimming pool, theatre, casino, and an underground ice rink. However, the $850 toilet brush looked at least golden. Russians decided that a toilet brush made of gold would make a great symbol for protests against Putin's regime. They were used by activists in support of Navalny's January mass rallies. Many of them were thus arrested.
