Vladimir Putin presides over Russia from behind the red walls of the Kremlin – yet associates have told RadarOnline.com the despot also maintains an ultra-secretive family life, in which he “sneaks away from the Kremlin to his ex-Olympian lover and two sons” under cover of darkness.
Putin, 73, who has ruled Russia for more than a quarter of a century, recently offered state television viewers a rare glimpse inside what he described as his Kremlin apartment.
Putin Claims Late Nights at the Kremlin
Vladimir Putin offered viewers a rare glimpse inside his Kremlin apartment.
Speaking to Rossiya 1 after 1.30am in a documentary, he said he now lives “most of the time” at the Kremlin and works late into the night.
The gilded main room of his base featured a white baby grand piano he said he “rarely” plays, a portrait of Tsar Alexander III and a home gym and a “little church” decorated in gold-heavy style.
On the table were kefir, cranberries, tea, bananas and soy sauce. Yet our sources said beyond the carefully curated images lies a parallel domestic world centered on Lake Valdai.
Although Putin told viewers his schedule was “non-stop,” intelligence agency insiders told us the warmonger also shares a heavily guarded residence at Lake Valdai with Alina Kabaeva, 42, a former Olympic rhythmic gymnast, and their two sons – Ivan, 11, and Vladimir Jr, 7.
Secret Life at Lake Valdai With Alina Kabaeva
Sources claimed he shared a guarded home at Lake Valdai with Alina Kabaeva.
The boys live in luxury but in near-total isolation, shielded from public scrutiny. Our sources said Putin typically visits them late at night, after official duties conclude.
One insider familiar with Putin’s movements said: “The public narrative is that he virtually resides within the Kremlin walls, immersed day and night in affairs of state. That portrayal isn’t entirely false – he does spend enormous amounts of time there – but it’s not the whole picture. There is a second rhythm to his life that very few people see.”
The source continued: “When there’s even a narrow opening in his schedule, he leaves quietly. He sneaks away from the Kremlin to his ex-Olympian lover and their two sons, and those trips are handled with extreme care.
“Travel happens late at night, routes are tightly controlled, and only a minimal circle of security and staff are informed. The objective is to ensure there’s no visible trace – no casual sightings, no loose ends. Everything is choreographed to maintain the image that he is permanently at his desk, even when he isn’t.”
Putin’s Family Tree: Daughters and Grandchildren
He acknowledged that his grandchildren spoke fluent Chinese.
Father-of-four Putin also has two adult daughters from his marriage to Lyudmila, who he divorced in 2013.
Maria Vorontsova, 41, is an endocrinologist, and Katerina Tikhonova, 40, a technology executive and former acrobat.
Putin – who has been dubbed ‘Mad Vlad‘ due to fears he is hiding illnesses including dementia – has never publicly confirmed their identities, despite widespread reporting on their names and careers.
Both women are believed to have children – Vorontsova reportedly has a son with businessman Yevgeny Nagorny, while Tikhonova is said to share a daughter with ballet dancer Igor Zelensky.
Putin has acknowledged having grandchildren, though he has not publicly named them.
“The little members of my family speak Chinese, they speak it fluently,” he said. Asked whether he was “strict” with them, he smiled and said he was not, adding that he sees them during breaks in his “non-stop” schedule.
Security and Secrecy Surrounding the Russian Leader
He spent extended periods at Novo Ogaryovo and Lake Valdai during the pandemic.
Another source said: “Putin protects his personal life with a level of intensity that rivals – if not exceeds – the way classified information is handled. Details about where he goes, who he sees and how he spends time away from official duties are compartmentalized to an extraordinary degree. Even many senior figures within government circles are kept at arm’s length from that aspect of his world.”
The insider added: “The carefully cultivated image is one of absolute devotion to the state – a leader who exists solely for Russia and rarely steps beyond the Kremlin’s walls. But running alongside that is a tightly sealed domestic sphere that functions in parallel. It is structured, controlled and deliberately invisible, ensuring that the boundary between his public authority and his private family life remains firmly intact.”
Since the Covid-19 pandemic, Putin’s circle has narrowed considerably. He spent extended periods at Novo-Ogaryovo near Moscow and at Lake Valdai during the global lockdowns.
Allies said to remain close to Putin include Yury Kovalchuk, a banking and media tycoon, his brother Mikhail Kovalchuk, who heads a nuclear research institute and Nikolai Patrushev, Russia’s former security council chief.
A source said: “For a leader who has dominated public life for decades, the private contours of Putin’s world remain opaque – defined by late-night meetings, guarded estates and a family life that, associates tell us, unfolds far from the public gaze.”
