Vladimir Putin is a controversial figure — but one woman loved him, for a while, at least.
Here's what we know about the woman who spent decades with the Russian president before
they split for good.
While Vladmir Putin has kept his personal life quiet, much of his political work is
public.
The current Russian president and one of the most feared political figures in the world,
the imposing politician has served in just about every governmental office the country
has.
He was an intelligence officer before becoming acting president in 1999.
He was president until 2008, then served as prime minister for four years before taking
presidential office again in 2012.
Putin has remained in office since.
As Russia invades Ukraine, Putin does not have much support, domestically or abroad.
Many Russians are protesting the impending war, and President Joe Biden has made statements
in opposition of the invasion, while former president Donald Trump continues to support
Putin.
Public figures like Meghan Markle and Prince Harry and celebrities from Gigi Hadid to AnnaLynne
McCord have voiced their support for Ukraine in the conflict.
While Putin is often in the news, he does not like to answer personal questions.
Still, we do know a few things about the woman who was once married to the Russian president.
It is a matter of public record that Putin was married to a woman named Lyudmila Ocheretnaya
for nearly 30 years.
The pair met in St. Petersburg through a mutual friend in the '80s, and had been together
for decades before splitting up.
Indeed, the couple announced their divorce in 2013, citing that they grew apart.
Ocheretnaya shared,
"Our marriage is over due to the fact that we barely see each other.
Vladimir Vladimirovich is completely submerged in his work.
Our children have grown up, each of them is living her own life.
[...] And I truly don't like publicity."
Ocheretnaya was never afraid to hide the fact that she disliked being the first lady of
Russia, and looked forward to having a quiet life when her divorce was finalized.
"And after years of speculation, Russia's president and his wife finally announced last
night they're getting a divorce."
But not much else is known about her, since as the Independent reports, some journalists
who share details of Putin's personal life are fired from their jobs.
While it's hard to find too much information about the time the couple shared, a 2002 biography
of the Russian president revealed sad details about his wife's life while married to him.
As Express reports, she gave birth alone without Putin by her side as he was out of town and
was not even allowed to choose her new daughter's name.
She said she had to name the child after Putin's mother, saying,
"I was in tears.
But then I realized there was no choice in the matter and my daughter was going to be
Maria."
The mom of two also confided that she was humiliated by Putin always being late for
engagements, saying,
"After an hour, I would nearly cry out of humiliation."
Ocheretnaya further said that her husband cheated on her repeatedly while they were
together.
So, it should come as no surprise that the former Mrs. Putin was relieved to separate
from him and attempt to move on with her life.
While she has kept a low profile since divorcing one of the most controversial politicians
in the world, one thing is clear: Ocheretnaya has moved on from being Putin's ex wife.
In fact, the former Mrs. Putin was reportedly desperate to separate herself from the father
of her children, and as CNN reports, was once believed to have joined an Orthodox convent
in an attempt to no longer be associated with the Russian leader.
It's unclear if the convent was ever home to Ocheretnaya, but she is now married to
a Russian businessman who is over 20 years her junior.
He works as the director of a nonprofit organization.
They recently purchased a villa in France for $7.46 million, and it's here that they
live life together outside of the spotlight.
Meanwhile, it's unclear if she has a job, but we do know Ocheretnaya was previously
an Aeroflot stewardess.
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