On the banks of the pond in central Yekaterinburg, the facade of the Sevastyanov House glows white, swimming-pool green and terracotta – a fairy-tale castle in the eastern Urals. It was here that Russia's then-president Dmitry Medvedev once met with the leaders of Brazil, India and China. Angela Merkel, too, visited as chancellor. DER SPIEGEL relies on support from its readers.