Vladimir Putin and his wife, Lyudmila, have announced their separation after 30 years of marriage, ending years of speculation about their relationship. She had rarely been seen in public in recent months, prompting media speculation about the president’s marriage.
Confirmation came on Thursday evening when the Putins gave an interview to the state-run TV channel Russia 24 after attending a ballet at the State Kremlin Palace. Asked about a rumour that they no longer lived together, Putin, 60, said: “That is true.”
Lyudmila, 55, said it had been “our common decision. And our marriage is over due to the fact that we barely see each other”.
Asked if they had divorced, she said it was a “civilised divorce”. But Putin’s spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, later clarified that the Putins aren’t yet legally divorced and that he didn’t know when the divorce proceedings would be finalised.
“Everything that’s related to Putin's personal life is his business alone, he has never made it a subject for public discussion. That’s his principle, and he has earned that right, so let’s treat it with respect,” Peskov said.
The couple, who have two daughters in their 20s, had last been seen in public together at Putin’s inauguration to his third presidential term in May 2012.
“We really love our children, are very proud of them and see them regularly,” Putin said. Rumours that he and his wife had separated have circulated for years, and amount to Moscow’s worst kept secret. During one of their rare public appearances together back in 2010, they sat awkwardly on a sofa as a census-taker asked them questions.
Mrs Putin – or Mrs Putina in Russian – seemed dazed, and uncertain how to react in the presence of her husband. Her demeanour fuelled allegations that she had retired to an Orthodox convent or was leading a life separate from her husband.
In 2008 Putin publicly denied claims that he was about to divorce his wife and marry Alina Kabaeva, a 27-year-old rhythmical gymnast with “incredible flexibility”. Evening Standard owner Alexander Lebedev shut down his tabloid Moscow newspaper after it broke the story.
During a visit to Italy and while standing alongside – fittingly – Silvio Berlusconi, Putin was asked about the story by a brave female reporter.
Putin replied: “There is not a word of truth in what you say.” Then he added: “I have always treated badly those who poke their noses and their erotic fantasies into someone else’s life.”
Speculation about Putin’s love life is paradoxically a product of the Kremlin’s own ultra-secretive habits.
Since becoming president in 2000, Putin has starred in a non-stop action-man drama – skiing down volcanoes, stunning tigers and polar bears, and even flying with cranes, his exploits covered nightly by state-controlled TV.
But despite this exhaustive image management, Kremlin aides have said nothing about Putin’s personal life. There are practically no photos of the Putins’ two grown-up daughters.
