Third generation in power: Media uncovers Putin’s 'family empire' in Russia
Photo: Russian President Vladimir Putin (Getty Images)
Russian President Vladimir Putin has employed at least 24 of his relatives in state positions linked to large sums of money. Among them are his grandnephews, marking the third generation of the Putin family in power, according to Russian outlet Agentstvo.
The outlet notes that 24 Putin relatives in power is a record figure for Russian rulers over the past 100 years. The Soviet Union also saw similar nepotism, but not on such a scale.
In particular, the families of all four of Putin’s well-known lovers have benefited financially from the state — his official wife Lyudmila Putina-Ocheretnaya, his unofficial wife Alina Kabaeva, as well as Svetlana Krivonogikh and Alisa Kharchova. The lovers themselves also enjoy money and positions. Lyudmila Putina-Ocheretnaya does not work anywhere at all, yet she receives hundreds of millions of rubles every year.
Both of Putin’s official daughters — Maria Vorontsova and Katerina Tikhonova — have also gained access to state money. Their husbands, both current and former, have likewise not been left out: they have been given state posts as well as opportunities to siphon money from the Russian budget.
Also on the list are his paternal cousins Yevgeny Putin (now deceased) and Igor Putin, his maternal cousin Lyubov Shelomova, and his paternal cousin Lyubov Kruglova.
Infographic: Agentstvo
Where can Putin be found?
Most of the positions Putin’s relatives hold are tied to sizable state budgets. For example, Anna Tsivilova, Sergei Tsivilyov, and Mikhail Putin — relatives of the late Yevgeny Putin — hold posts in the government and in Gazprom.
Among others, the grandchildren of the late Yevgeny Putin have also obtained positions connected to state funds. Denis Putin, Dmitry Loginov, and Elena Zhidkova occupy senior roles in state institutions and have access to vast sums of money. Thus, this already marks the third generation of the Putins in power.
Infographic: Agentstvo
Other Putins are not falling behind. Mikhail Shelomov, a maternal relative, is one of the Russian President’s "wallets," as is Roman Putin, a former FSB officer. Relatives on Putin’s father’s side control the company RusHydro. Others hold positions in Russian Railways, the sanctioned Promsvyazbank, Gazprom, Sibur, and other state structures that are extremely profitable for them.
What Putin’s daughters do
Russia also has the National Intellectual Development Foundation, headed by Putin’s daughter Katerina Tikhonova. This foundation is involved in the war in Ukraine, as it is the largest producer of drones in Russia and plays a role in the militarization of children in the country.
Meanwhile, Putin’s other illegitimate daughter — Yelizaveta Krivonogikh, who uses the pseudonym Luiza Rozova on social media — has, as it turns out, been living in France. She complains that she cannot enter Russia because of the war. At the same time, she does not condemn the war and does not support Ukraine (which is not surprising).
