Russian President Vladimir Putin has gone to great lengths to shield his private life
from the media. In fact, he is so private that no confirmed photographs exist of his
two adult daughters. Many people are curious about his life behind the scenes. He receives
just as much attention for his love life as he does for his role as president of Russia.
Rumors have circulated about the romance he is allegedly having with a much younger woman.
Some also think he and this woman might have a love child (or two).
Here’s what we know about Vladimir Putin’s rumored girlfriend and the young child who
may be his.
Putin makes sure to take time to express his
appreciation for women. In March 2018, he commemorated International Women’s Day by
reciting a poem and thanking women for their contributions. Said Putin in a statement released
by the Kremlin: “All this is for you, ladies. We are happy
to have such a wonderful occasion to express again our deep respect for you, our enchantment
with your beauty and tenderness …”
Apparently, Putin is well-liked among some
of the young women in Russia. Back in 2010, as a birthday gift for Putin, a group of female
students and alumni of Moscow State University’s journalism department produced a calendar
for him. But it wasn’t just any calendar. The women were posing in lingerie.
In the racy calendar, each woman left a seductive message for the president. The March model
wrote, “The fires are out, but I’m still burning”. This is a reference to wildfires
that killed more than 50 Russians. Putin helped fight the fires by dropping water from a plane.
Vladimir and Lyudmila Putin married in 1983
and divorced in 2014. Their divorce was announced in an unusual way. The couple made the announcement
during a public appearance at the State Kremlin Palace. They were there to see the ballet
La Esmeralda. During the intermission, they told the media they had decided to end their
marriage. The former Mrs. Putin later remarried. She
reportedly married businessman Artur Ocheretny, who is 20 years her junior. The couple is
living a lavish lifestyle in a fancy French villa worth up to $7.46 million.
During part of 2015, Putin hadn’t been seen
for an extended period of time. There were many speculations about the reason for his
disappearance. Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry S. Peskov fielded questions about Putin’s
health. Some speculated he might be recovering from a tough strain of the flu that was going
around in Moscow. Other speculations were that Putin was the victim of a palace coup,
another was that he was in Switzerland for the birth of his love child.
Yet another guess was that Putin was spending
time with his alleged mistress. The rumor of a possible love child was printed in a
Swiss tabloid. The tabloid reported that Putin spent a week with former Olympic gymnastics
medalist Alina Kabayeva. The paper claims he made the trip so he could witness the birth
of his alleged love child in a clinic in Switzerland’s Canton of Ticino.
Some think there’s more than one love child. In 2016, Kabayeva was seen attending an ice
skating show with two young boys. The sighting prompted some to speculate they were Kabayeva
and Putin’s children.
Kabayeva is a retired rhythmic gymnast. She
is also the chair of National Media Group, which is the board of directors of the largest
Russian media corporation. In addition, she has been a member of the Public Chamber of
Russia. Putin’s alleged girlfriend was first linked to him romantically in 2008 when the
two were reportedly caught kissing at a Moscow restaurant.
Kabayeva was recently seen wearing what appeared
to be a wedding ring during an Italy trip. Some think the pair are secretly married or
possibly heading down the aisle in the future. One reason is because Kabayeva hasn’t been
linked to any other romantic partners since 2008, even though she is considered one of
Russia’s most eligible women.