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The Times: Putin Paid European Nannies Gold Salaries to Raise His Secret Sons
🇬🇷 Greece /Culture & Society

The Times: Putin Paid European Nannies Gold Salaries to Raise His Secret Sons

From Ta Nea · () Greek

Translated from Greek, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • An investigation by The Times reveals that Vladimir Putin allegedly hired dozens of foreign nannies and educators to raise his two secret sons with Alina Kabaeva.
  • These caregivers, from countries like Britain and Germany, were reportedly paid substantial monthly salaries, sometimes reaching up to 7,000 euros.
  • The children live in isolation at a heavily guarded estate near Lake Valdai, with strict rules and ideological censorship imposed on the staff.

While Vladimir Putin publicly denounces Western lifestyles, an investigation by The Times has uncovered alleged hypocrisy within the Kremlin regarding his private life. Documents from the research unit Systema suggest the Russian president entrusted the upbringing of his two secret sons to dozens of nannies and educators from Britain, Germany, Ireland, and Austria, paying them generous salaries that reportedly reached as high as 7,000 euros per month.

Officially, Putin has only two adult daughters from his marriage to Lyudmila Shushlina, which ended in 2014. However, it is widely rumored that he has two sons with former rhythmic gymnast Alina Kabaeva: 11-year-old Ivan and a younger son named Vladimir Jr. The two boys are said to live in complete isolation at Putin's heavily guarded estate near Lake Valdai, northwest of Moscow.

A network of at least 20 foreign employees was reportedly recruited for their care. While official contracts listed their roles as "top translators," monthly salaries allegedly started at 1,965 euros (167,000 rubles) but were significantly increased through bonuses and cash payments. Some nannies reportedly received astronomical sums of up to 6,935 euros monthly.

Geopolitical tensions have even affected the estate's staffing. Following the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Putin reportedly began favoring staff from countries considered "friendly" to Moscow, with a significant shift towards South African hires, although Germany remained a primary source of employees. Life within this "golden cage" at Valdai is reportedly governed by strict discipline and ideological censorship. Employees, required to live on-site without freedom of movement, submit daily reports on the children's behavior. Putin's rhetoric against the West and the LGBTQ+ community is reportedly mirrored in employment terms, with contracts explicitly forbidding staff from imposing their religious, political, or ideological views on the children and prohibiting any discussion of gender or LGBTQ+ related topics without employer approval.

DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Ta Nea in Greek. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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