Russian leader Vladimir Putin has always kept his private life out of the public eye—especially in the most recent decades of his life. There is only a little information known about his first marriage to Lyudmila Ocheretnaya, which lasted from 1983 to 2014, and their two daughters.However, there has been a lot of speculation that the President of Russia has found love since then, and he's been harbouring a 'secret' relationship with former Olympic athlete Alina Kabaeva.
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Moreover, it has been claimed that the couple share children together—two sons.
Now, a Russian investigative news organisation called Dossier Center has released a bombshell report, called Succession, The Secret Lives of Vladimir Putin’s Sons, about the unknown Putin family. The organisation is promoted by Kremlin critic Mikhail Khodorkovsky, who regularly shares insights into the Kremlin.
Dossier Center has given an in-depth account of his sons' lives, from what they like to watch, to how they get educated, using unnamed sources who claim to see the children regularly.
The report names of his alleged sons: nine-year-old Ivan, and five-year-old Vladimir Jr.
Putin has never acknowledged the existence of his two sons in public or his relationship with Alina Kabaeva.
Alleged details about his sons' lives
According to information from the investigative portal, the two children are very isolated from the outside world and live within the confines of their father's private estate in Valdai—located 440 kilometers north of Moscow. His elder son is said to have been born in Lugano, Switzerland in 2015, while the younger was born in Moscow in 2019.
Given how secretive Putin is about his family, the two children live under strict security precautions. According to the report, they are guarded by officers from Russia's Federal Protective Service (FSO), and the area is shielded by two air defense systems.
The boys never have to leave the property as they get round-the-clock care and education from nannies, and professional teachers. The report adds:
The brothers have little interaction with their peers and rarely see their parents, but they cherish the rare moments they spend with their father.
Strict safety precautions
The relationship between Putin and Kabaeva, and their family, has been dubbed one of the 'state's most guarded secrets'. Naturally, the lives of Ivan and Vladimir are highly different to that of a five or nine-year-old. In fact, their lives are more similar to those of the children of the last Russian Tsar.
They have to adhere to the strictest security standards when it comes to traveling. They fly using private planes, travel in armored trains, and sail on yachts. All of their travel is reportedly done using special passports, which are otherwise only used by Russian agents or people in the witness protection program.
The children also seem to have little contact with other people who are not actively involved in teaching or taking care of them. They allegedly only see their parents late in the evening. Visits from other children or relatives are only permitted if they have quarantined for two weeks.
Putin and his alleged partner are also very particular when it comes to their children's education.
Home-schooled by teachers with high salaries
Indeed, according to Dossier Central's sources, they do not attend public schools and are instead study at home under the guidance of private teachers, who reportedly have high salaries as well. In fact, Putin's coveted sons have language teachers who get paid much more than the average teacher in most countries. Their English teacher is said to get paid around $8,500 per month.
Most recently, Putin said while talking to the Russian youth that the young ones in his family are fluent in Chinese. At the time, many thought they were his grandchildren, but this report shines new light on his words.
Outside of their studies, a rather unusual fact was also shared in the report. While their lives are incomparable to other children, it seems they are not that different either. His eldest son, Ivan, specifically enjoys watching Disney cartoons. The organisation writes:
However, he [Putin] couldn’t shield his children from Western influence. His older son Ivan prefers Disney cartoons and, much to his parents’ displeasure, plays by pretending to be their characters.
You can read Dossier Center's full report here.
This article has been adapted from Ohmymag DE.
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Sources used:
Daily Mail: Vladimir Putin's two sons 'annoy' their despot father and gymnast lover mother by 'pretending to be Disney characters' on the rare occasions they see them, investigation website claims
Newsweek: Putin's Alleged Sons Have 'Cover Documents,' Use Armored Train: Report
Spiegel: Putin's sons Ivan and Vladimir junior Two ponies, no friends and air defense systems outside the door
Forbes: Putin Has Two Sons With Former Olympic Gymnast Kabaeva, Report Says—Here’s What We Know
