Who is Vladimir Putin’s lover Alina Kabaeva? Here is everything you need to know

From the Olympics to Parliament

Following the news that Russian President Vladimir Putin had sequestered his lover, Alina Kabaeva, and their kids in Switzerland, many people had questions about Putin's mystery boo.

Related Links: Vladimir Putin hiding lover Alina Kabaeva and their kids in Switzerland

Putin's past passions

[caption id="attachment_321734" align="alignnone" width="2048"] Putin and wife, Lyudmila Shkrebneva/Via Getty[/caption] Vladimir Putin married Lyudmila Shkrebneva in 1983, a summer wedding as it happens. Their first daughter Mariya was born in 1985 and a year later, they had Yekaterina in Germany. Putin is actually said to be a loving father, with Shkrebneva herself confirming she is the one who disciplines them. In 2008, former Russian newspaper Moskovsky Korrespondent reported that Putin had divorced Shkrebneva and was engaged to marry Olympic gymnast Alina Kabaeva. The reports were denied and followed quickly by the newspaper shutting down. As the pandemic ravaged the world in 2020, The Moscow Times claimed Putin had another daughter, Elizaveta, with Russian millionaire Svetlana Krivonogikh. Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissed the allegations as "not very convincing", reports the Spectator. In 2013, Putin and Lyudmila announced that their marriage was over, which the Kremlin confirmed as finalised the following year.

Who is Alina Kabaeva?

[caption id="attachment_321736" align="alignnone" width="2048"] Via Getty[/caption] Kabaeva was born in 1983 in what was Soviet-controlled Uzbekistan. Throughout the decades, she became one of the most decorated gymnasts in rhythmic gymnastic history and secured an impressive two Olympic medals, 14 World Championship medals and 21 European Championship medals. 2008's expose from the Moskovsky Korrespondent put Kabaeva in the sights of just about everyone in the world. Everyone wanted to know who Putin's girlfriend was - but still, the cover was maintained. Putin doesn't even like to be asked about her, to which he once replied: "I've always had a negative feeling about people poking their snotty noses and erotic fantasies into other people's lives."

Do they have kids?

[caption id="attachment_321737" align="alignnone" width="2048"] Via Getty[/caption] While Putin may not be standing for family portraits, it's fairly accepted that Putin and Kabaeva have at least three kids. In 2015, reports suggested that Kabaeva had given birth to a daughter and later in 2019, she is said to have given birth to twin sons. The Kremlin remained eerily silent on the matter, which was only magnified when previous statements had been denied so efficiently. Kabaeva's place as Putin's mistress came at a strange time. With countless Russian outlets reporting on their leader's private life, the Kremlin cracked down harder on the freedom of the press which naturally meant less information making it across the world.

Where do her politics stand?

[caption id="attachment_321739" align="alignnone" width="2048"] Via Getty[/caption] Since 2005, Kabaeva has been a member of the Public Chamber of Russia and in 2008, she became the chair of the Public Council of the National Media Group, which controls state media. Between 2007 and 2014, she stood in Parliament as a representative for the United Russia Party, where she voted in a flurry of controversial laws. Such laws included a ban on inter-country adoption and making the circulation of "non-traditional" relationship material a punishable offence. In 2014, as Putin was sacking Crimea, Kabaeva stepped down from her parliamentary seat and became the chair of Russia's largest media conglomerate, National Media Group. She was heavily criticised for holding such lofty positions, one of which boasted a $7.7m salary. Related links:

• Vladimir Putin says western sanctions' equivalent to declaring war'
• Klitschko brothers on Vladimir Putin's 23-man 'kill list' following Ukraine invasion
• Vladimir Putin is holed up in 'air' over assassination predictions
• Vladimir Putin hiding lover Alina Kabaeva and their kids in Switzerland