Before the war against Ukraine started just over a month ago, the exclusive French ski resort of Courchevel was buzzing with wealthy Russians.
International Women's Day on March 8 is also an official public holiday in Russia, and is usually celebrated in La Croisette, the centre of Courchevel, with furs and champagne. "The Russians are generous and not necessarily a show-off clientele," the employee, who did not want to be named, told the ABC.
With few guests to entertain, he and some of his colleagues have been working together to help Ukrainians displaced in the crisis. In 2012, Biarritz's deputy mayor told Time magazine a property purchased by Kirill Shamalov, Mr Putin's former son-in-law, was one of at least two homes in the area connected to the Russian President.
In late February it was tagged by Mr Putin's opponents with graffiti reading "Putin Suka" and "Slava Ukraini" .
All the money is Russian for the exits!