Why Italy can’t switch off AC on a seized Russian billionaire’s $600 million yacht

Italian authorities have reportedly been stuck with an unusual and expensive responsibility for more than four years: paying to keep a Russian billionaire’s $600 million superyacht in pristine condition. Sailing Yacht A, owned by Russian industrialist Andrey Melnichenko who has brought in new technologies in his businesses, has been sitting in the port of Trieste since March 2022, when Italian authorities seized it under international sanctions. Even though the futuristic vessel cannot leave the dock, it still requires constant maintenance, a working crew and nonstop power. Even worse for Italy’s budget, authorities cannot simply shut the ship down to save money. Inside the yacht sits a multimillion-euro private art collection, including paintings by Claude Monet, that would deteriorate if the air conditioning were turned off.

According to the French newspaper Le Parisien, keeping Sailing Yacht A, reportedly dubbed the world’s ugliest superyacht, in working order costs roughly $30,000 a day, or nearly $11 million a year. That money pays for a 20-person skeleton crew tasked with cleaning the vessel and running its onboard systems, along with specialized upkeep, insurance, climate control and fuel. Sailing Yacht A is powered by four variable-speed generators, each capable of producing 2,800 kW, for a combined capacity of 11.2 megawatts. Depending on the ship's power needs at any given moment, those generators burn through roughly 400 gallons of diesel every hour to run essential machinery and protect the interiors from decay. The financial headache could soon get much worse. A report published in July noted that Italy may have to spend another $12 million on the yacht as it nears a mandatory class-renewal survey. While the initial certification costs far less, the technical repairs required to pass inspection could run into the millions – a bill the Italian Treasury might have to advance.

In January 2023, an investigation by the Italian television program Le Iene revealed that Sailing Yacht A holds at least eight paintings, including works by Claude Monet and other Impressionists, as well as pieces by 17th- and 18th-century French artists. A regional fine-arts official who inspected the collection explained that the paintings require stable temperatures to survive. As canvas, wooden supports and layers of paint react differently to moisture, swinging temperatures and humidity can cause surfaces to warp, crack and flake. Too much humidity also invites mold and condensation behind the frames.

As a result, the yacht’s climate-control systems are a preservation necessity. Switching off the power to save on diesel could trigger far more expensive damage to the artwork. The yacht features three massive masts, eight decks, multiple elevators and suspended spiral staircases. Its interiors are outfitted with dark wood, copper accents, patterned carpets, integrated bookcases, and a multilevel main salon.