VLADIMIR Putin is well-known for maintaining a tight lid on his personal and family life, yet over the years, some information about his children has come to light.
Maria Vorontsova (née Putin, born April 28, 1985): The 39-year-old eldest daughter of Putin is involved in state-funded programs that are directly managed by Putin himself, which have received billions in funding from the Kremlin for genetic research initiatives.
She is the first of two daughters of Putin and his ex-wife, Lyudmila Putina.
Maria is said to be an expert in rare genetic diseases in children, and also dwarfism, according to reports.
She was married to Dutch businessman Jorrit Faassen.
In 2013, Maria and her partner were residing in a luxurious penthouse located in Voorschoten, the Netherlands. However, in 2014, following the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 by pro-Russian separatists in Ukraine, there were demands from Dutch locals for her expulsion from the country.
The pair are believed to have moved the Moscow the following year.
In March 2022, it was reported that the couple had split after the war in Ukraine crushed Maria’s dreams of opening a money-spinning clinic for wealthy foreigners in Russia
Katerina Tikhonova (née Putin, born August 31, 1986): Also daughter of Putin and Lyudmila, 38-year-old Katerina is a tech boss whose work supports the Russian government and defence industry.
She started as a “rock’n’roll” dancer before moving into the world of artificial intelligence.
In 2013, his daughter Katerina married Kirill Shamalov, whose father, Nikolai, is a longtime friend of the president.
Nikolai Shamalov is a shareholder in Bank Rossiya, described by US officials as the Russian elite’s personal bank.
They were married in a secret ceremony at the Igor ski resort just north of St Petersburg.
It was reported at the time that the pair rode into the ceremony on a sleigh pulled by three white horses.
All the guests invited were sworn to secrecy, and the Kremlin has never confirmed that the wedding took place.
“I have a private life in which I do not permit interference,” Putin once said. “It must be respected.”
The couple had corporate holdings worth around $2 billion, according to Reuters, mainly from their large stake in Sibur Holding, a major gas and petrochemical company Kirill bought from another long-time friend of Putin, Gennady Timchenko.
Kirill also bought off Timchenko’s luxury villa in the seaside resort of Biarritz, southern France, estimated to be worth some $3.7m.
In March 2022, the house was taken over by pro-Ukraine activists, in response to Russia’s brutal invasion.
But Katerina and Kirill divorced in January 2018, with Putin’s former son in law rumoured to have been romantically involved with London-based Russian socialite Zhanna Volkova.
After the split, Kirill was said to be forced to give up his stocks in Sibur, and he lost almost half his wealth.
Their divorce settlement hasn’t been disclosed but likely runs into the millions.
Despite that, Kirill is still worth an estimated $800 million.
Putin was reported to be “quietly grooming” Katerina to be his successor.
Vlad is also rumoured to have “hidden” children, though he has never confirmed these reports.
Elizaveta Rozova (aka Luiza Rozova): Elizaveta, also known as Luiza Rozova, 21, is the rumoured love child from Putin’s alleged affair with a former cleaner.
The daughter of Svetlana Krivonogikh, who later became a millionaire, is now a fashion designer and DJ.
She often shared details from her lavish life on Instagram, until suddenly taking down the page in the wake of the Ukraine war.
Speculation also surrounds his supposed secret family with Alina Kabaeva, a former rhythmic gymnast once known as “the most flexible woman in Russia”.
Officials have denied that he has kids with Alina, but it is reported that she is in hiding in Switzerland, avoiding any possible sanctions in the wake of the Ukraine war.
A petition demanding she is thrown out by the Swiss authorities has garnered 75,000 signatures, demanding that “it’s time you reunite Eva Braun with her Führer”.
Alina retired from gymnastics and took a strange career turn to become a Russian MP.
The former athlete – dubbed “Russia’s First Mistress” – the Duma, the Russian parliament in 2007, representing her alleged lover’s United Russia party but left years later to pick up a lucrative job running a media company, despite having no previous experience.
In April, Alina’s name and picture was dramatically stripped from the website of the media empire she controlled.
