How Vladimir Putin’s sons, one of whom was born in Ticino, live in a gilded prison – rts.ch

The Dossier Center, a website that tracks the criminal activities of people linked to the Kremlin, has confirmed that one of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s sons was born in Switzerland in 2015. The investigation, published on Wednesday, also provides rare information about the living conditions of the couple’s two sons, now aged nine and five, at their residence on Lake Valdai in central Russia.

Vladimir Putin divorced his wife Lyudmila in 2013, but has never publicly acknowledged his relationship with former gymnast Alina Kabaeva. Their relationship has attracted much media attention and there has been much speculation about the birthplace of their sons. In May 2022, SonntagsZeitung reported that the couple had two sons, the first of whom was born in Switzerland: information that has never been officially confirmed.

Alina Kabaeva’s many trips to Switzerland

According to the Dossier Center investigation, Alina Kabaeva visited Lugano three times in 2014. On her last trip, she was accompanied by Natalia Thiebaud*, a Russian-born gynecologist from the Sant’Anna clinic. “There was a Russian-speaking gynecologist at the Lugano clinic. We can assume that this was an additional factor for Russian businessmen when choosing a country for their wives to give birth,” says Ilya Rozhdestvensky, a journalist at the Dossier Center.

The Sant’Anna Clinic in Lugano, Switzerland, 2015. [KEYSTONE – SAMUEL GOLAY]

In the spring of 2015, Aline Kabaeva gave birth to her first son, Ivan, in the same clinic, the Dossier Center source, a member of Putin’s household staff, said. In 2018, the former gymnast reportedly went to Switzerland again for a prenatal check-up. In the spring of 2019, the Swiss gynecologist reportedly went to Moscow to give birth to Alina Kabaeva’s second child. “We checked Alina Kabaeva’s flight data and verified that she went to Switzerland, including with the gynecologist Natalia Thiebaud. The gynecologist also went to Russia around the time Alina Kabaeva was due to give birth to her second child,” the Dossier Center journalist said.

Putin’s children live in isolation

The Dossier Center also revealed the names of the couple’s sons: Ivan and Vladimir. The investigation indicates that they live in isolation under the protection of the Russian Federal Protection Service. The boys rarely see their parents and meet other children only during the holidays, mainly those of Alina Kabaeva’s friends. They travel by private jet, on yachts and in armored trains. They are educated by governesses, sports teachers and nannies. Almost every residence has a sports complex with a gym and a swimming pool, and sometimes even a hockey rink. Personal trainers take care of swimming and gymnastics training.

Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, preference was given to teachers from South Africa, which is considered a “friendly” state. However, Ivan and Vladimir also have teachers with British and New Zealand passports. According to investigators, the ten foreign teachers of Putin’s children are paid between 330,000 and 1.2 million rubles (between 3,138 and 11,574 Swiss francs) per month.

The teachers are hired by the English Nanny agency, which selects staff for wealthy Russian families. According to the employer’s conditions, the teachers are forbidden to leave the residence. The job advertisement states that the family “lives in isolation” in the St. Petersburg region. In addition, the Dossier Center investigation reveals that the teachers’ salaries are processed in the clinics of the MMC network (My Medical Center, formerly SOGAZ), where the president’s friends and relatives also receive medical care. Contracts with the nannies are formalized as if they were translators.

Difficulty getting along with family

The Dossier Center also reports that it is quite easy to get a job in Putin’s family: vacancies are publicly advertised and anyone can apply. For example, in early 2024, the family was looking for an English teacher to live with their two sons, aged four and eight. A five-day-a-week job, totaling 60 hours, with tasks including “teaching other subjects” and accompanying the children on trips, for a monthly salary of 7,700 euros. The agency specifies that it has been working with this family for a long time and has already found several English and German teachers for them.

The family also constantly needs new teachers, with turnover related to difficulties in getting along with the family, according to a source from the house staff. On the other hand, the number of foreigners willing to work in Russia, especially since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, is limited. Finally, many have heard about the strict conditions of isolation, as indicated in the survey.

Virginia Mangin (SWI)

*Natalia Thiebaud no longer works under her married name. According to Swiss media, she died in 2023.