‘Finally, a Boy!’: What We Learned From New Investigation Into Putin’s Secret Sons

The Dossier Center investigative outlet released an investigation that sheds light on the life of the two alleged young sons of President Vladimir Putin and Alina Kabaeva, a decorated Russian gymnast turned longtime presidential partner. 

The Moscow Times has gathered the key findings of the investigation into the life of Ivan Putin and Vladimir Putin Jr.:

Long-awaited male heirs 

Putin has two daughters from his first marriage with Lyudmila Putina née Shkrebneva whom he divorced in 2013, according to his official biography. 

The Kremlin has long denied any relationship between Putin, 71, and Kabaeva, 41, though the two have been romantically linked in the media for over a decade and they are believed to have children together.

Dossier’s investigation suggested that the relationship between Putin and Kabaeva may have started as early as 2008. In the spring of 2015 the couple welcomed their first son Ivan at Sant'Anna maternity clinic in the Swiss city of Lugano, the outlet said. 

The couple’s second son Vladimir Putin Jr. was born in the spring of 2019 in Moscow. 

“Both times, the decision on where the birth would take place was made by the president himself,” Dossier quoted one of its sources as saying. 

“On several occasions, Ivan Putin told his tutors and security guards…that when he was born, Vladimir Putin was so happy that he shouted: ‘Hurray! Finally! A boy!’,” said the investigation. 

Isolated lives

Putin’s two sons live in near-total isolation in the president’s mansion in Valdai National Park in Russia’s Novgorod region northwest of Moscow, Dossier said. 

The boys are surrounded by nannies, governesses and sports coaches who live in the mansion, but have almost no interaction with other children of their age, according to the investigation. 

“They have to play mostly alone or with adults…They only see their parents late at night, and their peers — mainly during big celebrations,” Dossier wrote. 

Every year the family travels to Putin’s residence near the Black Sea resort city of Sochi where they spend most of their time skiing. 

In the summer months, the boys and their mother take long yacht trips — now limited to “safe waters” within Russia — and spend time in Putin’s residences in Crimea and Sochi. 

The family has an armored train, several planes, helicopters and yachts at their disposal.

Foreign teachers

Governesses and teachers for Ivan and Vladimir Jr. are sought out via the online recruitment website English Nanny. 

The latest vacancy connected to Putin’s family was that of an English teacher for the two boys. 

The teacher was promised paid accommodation, a five-day workweek and a salary of 7,700 euros ($8,500) per month, though the advertisement also said that leaving the family’s residence was prohibited and that a potential candidate would have to pass an array of medical exams to prove fit for the job. 

Preference was given to teachers from South Africa, which Putin’s family considers to be a “friendly” country, according to Dossier’s sources. 

The children also attend music classes and German lessons taught by a woman identified as Sofija Božić, a Bosnian national who has been working with the family since 2017. 

“Teachers and coaches hardly interact with the family directly…If a teacher needs something, they communicate with the family's assistants,” said the investigation. 

Disney obsession

Putin’s eldest son Ivan is obsessed with Disney cartoons and movies and likes to cosplay as some of his favorite characters, according to the investigation.

This passion is likely disliked by Putin, who has stated his preference for Soviet-made cartoons on multiple occasions.

Both children also have a large Lego collection and several iPads they use for games and online lessons. 

Sports 

Both children have personal trainers in swimming and artistic gymnastics.

Ivan has already competed in several artistic gymnastics competitions, though his results were not promising, according to Dossier.

Putin’s eldest son is also an aspiring hockey player and often plays in evening games with his father at the residence’s hockey rink.  

Kabaeva is also said to attend matches where her husband and son play together, though she prefers watching them from behind an opaque glass to stay hidden from the eyes of servants and staff, said Dossier’s sources.