The Atlantic: Putin's Secret Children May Start Fighting For Power
- 1.10.2024, 9:07
When they get out of the ‘golden cage’.
Russian ruler Vladimir Putin cannot keep his private life secret all the time. Recently, journalists got access to information about his inner circle.
According to The Atlantic, Putin actively demonstrates his passion for hockey. Before the war in Ukraine, the 71-year-old dictator often appeared at public matches with professional athletes, where he was given the opportunity to score goals. Despite the fighting, Putin continues to play hockey, although now his security guards play on the ice instead of athletes.
It is known that Putin also wants to show off his hockey achievements to Alina Kabaeva, a former Olympic gymnast with whom he has a long term romantic relationship, according to rumours. Their relationship remains a secret in Russia, but according to opposition Center Dossier media group, Kabaeva watches Putin's games from a private box hidden from the eyes of the staff.
Putin uses such moments to create an image of a strong man, but his private life remains carefully hidden. ‘Center Dossier,’ an organisation funded by Mikhail Khodorkovsky, released a report detailing Putin and Kabaeva's relationship, as well as their likely children. Even his officially recognised children from his first marriage live under fictitious names.
‘Kabaeva apparently thought she was going to be a queen, but turned out to be a prisoner. This is a tragedy for the Kremlin,’ said Nina Khrushcheva, a professor of international relations at the New York School.
Ilya Rozhdestvensky, author of the Center Dossier report, described the ‘surreal’ schemes Putin uses to protect his privacy. His children are only travelling around the palace in cars and guests must be quarantined before meeting him. In the meantime, journalists and activists have gained access to photos of Putin's children thanks to leaks from his security service.
The personal lives of Soviet and Russian leaders have always been a matter of public interest, but Putin, unlike many, faces difficulties in keeping his secrets private. Kabayeva, once popular in Russia, now lives in the dictator's shadow, perhaps in his palace in Valdai. Her role, like that of many people in Putin's inner circle, remains hidden from the public.
Gossip about their relationship has persisted since 2008, when reports of a possible wedding first surfaced. Although Putin has publicly denied this information, his private life continues to attract interest and investigation, including from journalists such as Alexei Navalny, who uncovered assets likely acquired for Kabaeva's family.
It is not known for certain how many children Putin and Kabaeva have, but according to various sources, there may be two or three. One of them was reportedly born in 2015 in Switzerland and is now reportedly around nine years old. He likes to play chess online, Rozhdestvensky said, suggesting he may have access to the outside world. Apparently, the son potentially has access to information about his father's crimes in Ukraine, particularly the abduction of Ukrainian children.
Rozhdestvensky named his investigation ‘Inheritance’ after the TV series about children fighting over their father's empire. Timur Olevsky, editor of The Insider, described what a battle between several groups of Putin's children for power might look like.
‘Russia is likely to suffer decades-long conflicts like the War of the Roses. For now, Putin's children will continue to live as hermits in a golden cage,’ he said half-jokingly.