A newly released investigative report has brought to light new details surrounding the lives of Ivan Putin and Vladimir Putin Jr., the alleged sons of the Russian President and Alina Kabaeva, a renowned gymnast and rumored longtime love interest.
Putin, 71, had two daughters from his first marriage to Lyudmila Putina before they divorced in 2013.
The Kremlin has denied any relationship between Putin and Kabaeva, 41, for years. However, media speculation linking the two romantically has persisted for more than a decade.
The investigation, first published by the Dossier Center before being recirculated by “The Moscow Times,” claims that Putin and Kabaeva began their relationship as early as 2008, roughly four years after she claimed gold at the Athens Olympics.
The report claims to offer a rare glimpse into Putin’s personal life, which has remained a mystery for years.
In 2015, the couple allegedly welcomed their first son, Ivan, at the Sant’Anna maternity clinic in Lugano, Switzerland. Four years later, in 2019, their second son, Vladimir Putin Jr, was reportedly born in Moscow.
The report cites sources close to the president, stating that the Russian president himself made the decisions about where each child’s birth would take place.
“When he was born, Vladimir Putin was so happy that he shouted: ‘Hurray! Finally! A boy!’” one of the sources published in Russian media claims.
The two boys are said to live secluded lives in their father’s mansion located in Valdai National Park, a vast and remote estate northwest of Moscow.
According to the Dossier Center, their lives are filled with the presence of nannies, governesses, and sports coaches.
The report claims that Ivan and Vladimir Jr. rarely interact with children their own age, spending most of their time alone or with adults appointed by Putin to oversee their development.
The investigation details how the children only see their parents late at night and only meet their peers during large celebratory gatherings.
Their lives, while opulent, appear remarkably insulated from the outside world, according to the report.
The family reportedly spends a lot of their time at Putin’s residence near Sochi. During the summer, they embark on long yacht trips within the “safe waters” of Russia.
Putin’s residences in Crimea are also regular holiday spots for the family.
Ivan and Vladimir Jr. are reportedly taught by governesses and teachers recruited from the website English Nanny.
One recent job posting for an English teacher promised a generous salary of €7,700 (A$12,500 per month), with paid accommodation and a five-day workweek.
However, the job came with strict conditions. Leaving the family’s residence is strictly prohibited, and candidates must pass numerous medical exams before getting the nod.
Aside from English lessons, the boys also reportedly receive music classes and German language instruction from a Bosnian teacher, Sofija Božić, who has worked with the family since 2017.
The investigation noted that teachers and coaches rarely interact with the family directly and instead make contact through numerous assistants.
Both boys are said to have an extensive Lego collection and use several iPads for games and online lessons.
Russian leader’s ‘official’ children
Putin has two officially acknowledged children – Maria, 37, and Katerina, 35, both from first wife Lyudmila Ocheretnaya.
Dr. Maria Vorontsova, a year younger than Kabaeva, was born when the Russian president was a KGB spy in Germany.
She is an expert in rare genetic diseases in children and works as a lead researcher at the National Medical Research Centre for Endocrinology of the Ministry of Health of Russia.
Meanwhile Katerina is deputy director of the Institute for Mathematical Research of Complex Systems at Moscow State University.
She is a former high-kicking ‘rock’n’roll’ dancer.
Both daughters have been sanctioned by the West – unlike Kabaeva, and Mr Putin’s unacknowledged “love child” Luiza Rozova, 19.
Luiza is the daughter of cleaner-turned-multi-millionaire Svetlana Krivonogikh, 45, now part-owner of a major Russian bank, one of the country’s wealthiest women with an estimated $130 million financial and property fortune.
Start your day with all you need to know
Morning Report delivers the latest news, videos, photos and more.
Thanks for signing up!
Many Russians saw Kabaeva as the reason for the break-up of Putin’s marriage to former air stewardess Lyudmila, 63, in 2014.
Putin previously said: “I have a private life in which I do not permit interference. It must be respected.”
Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko previously hinted that Putin’s divorce had come about because Kabaeva had “put pressure on the President.”
Meanwhile, Kabaeva is on record as saying she had met a man who “I love very much,” gushing: “Sometimes you feel so happy that you even feel scared.”
Kabaeva has kept a low profile throughout the Ukraine war – but her media company has been vocal in cheerleading for the Russian President.
