Alina Kabaeva, the so-called ‘Golden Girl’ of authoritarian tyrant Vladimir Putin had allegedly hoped to live like ‘a queen’. Instead, her isolated existence is comparable to that of a ‘prisoner’
He’s one of the most famous men on Earth, but Vladimir Putin goes to great lengths to protect his privacy – especially when it comes to his so-called ‘Golden Girl’.
Authoritarian tyrant Putin, 72, is allegedly in a long-term relationship with Alina Kabaeva, a celebrated gymnast who holds two Olympic medals, 14 World Championship medals and 21 medals from the European Championships
The pair allegedly share two young sons together, Ivan Putin, nine, and Vladimir Putin (junior), five, who are said to live like princes in a gilded cage, kept in the lap of luxury away from other children their age.
Although a romance between Putin and Kabaeva has never been officially confirmed, it’s been widely reported that the pair have been an item since at least 2008. Meanwhile, independent investigative media outlet Dossier Centre reports that the existence of their two pampered yet isolated boys is an open secret.
READ MORE: Isolated lives of Vladimir Putin’s secret sons from concealed identities to armoured trains
Kabaeva is believed to be among Russia’s wealthiest women, with her hidden property empire worth at least £81.85 million. However, her alleged opulent life is not without its trials.
Indeed, as is allegedly the way with his secret sons, Putin, who is officially divorced from his first wife, Lyudmila Aleksandrovna Ocheretnaya, has taken steps to keep Kabaeva firmly out of the limelight, Dossier Centre reports.
When attending Putin’s hockey games, the 41-year-old reportedly watches from a separate box obscured by smoked glass, away from his staff. It’s believed Kabaeva resides in Putin’s palace in Valdai, a notoriously cold town north of Moscow. The sprawling, fiercely guarded estate is surrounded by forest, and it’s here where, according to one pop song, Kabaeva is “dancing there, behind a little invisible door”.
According to some experts, Kabaeva’s life now is decidedly different to the one she may once have envisioned. Nina Khrushcheva, an international affairs professor at the New School, in New York, told The Atlantic: “Kabaeva must have thought she would become a queen, but turned out a prisoner. This is the Kremlin’s tragedy.”
Whispers began circulating around Putin and Kabaeva back in 2008, when the then recently opened Moscow Correspondent reported that Putin was preparing to wed Kabaeva at a royal palace in St. Petersburg.
At the time, Putin condemned what he dismissed as gossip, declaring: “I have a private life in which I do not permit interference. It must be respected.” He then took aim at “those who, with their snotty noses and erotic fantasies, prowl into others’ lives”.
Owner Alexander Lebedev closed the newspaper shortly afterwards, but editor Grigory Nekhoroshev always stood by the claims made in the article. Putin’s fiery indignation also didn’t stop journalists at independent Russian outlets such as Dossier, Project Media, Meduza, and The Insider to dig deeper into the connection, with some even discovering a private railroad reportedly used by Kabaeva to travel to and from Putin’s Valdai bolthole.
Compared with Putin, Kabaeva has been a little more open about her private life. During an appearance on children’s TV show One Hundred Questions for Adults, Kabaeva was seen giggling away when a young boy inquired as to whether she’d met her “ideal man”, revealing, “I have”.
Although Kabaeva didn’t give a name, she did divulge, “he’s a very good man, a great man”, admitting: “I love him very much.” Kabaeva then added: “Sometimes you feel so happy that you even feel scared”.
Do you have a story to share? Email me at [email protected]. Follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Threads.
READ MORE: ‘I’m a beauty writer and this is my five-minute Jones Road makeup look’