New allegations regarding the private life of President Vladimir Putin (73) are once again attracting attention in the international press. According to a report in the British newspaper The Sun, published this Saturday based on an investigation by Russian journalists, the president had an affair with model Alisa Kharcheva, who was only 17 years old.
- Olympic medalist, former member of the House of Representatives: Who is the woman identified as the “mother of his children” with President Putin’s affair who has “resurfaced” in Russia?
The publication said that at the time, Kharcheva was a participant in a student pageant and a model for a calendar created by the Nashi Youth Movement, and came to Putin’s attention when she appeared as “Miss April” in an issue commemorating her birthday. In addition to the calendar, the group, which gained influence in the early 2010s, would have sent the Kremlin the contact details of the young women depicted.
According to the report, the student received a phone call inviting him to a meeting at the official residence in Novo-Ogaryovo, Moscow. The visit, cited by The Sun, appears to have taken place at night and coincided with the time Alina Kabaeva, a former gymnast and longtime partner of the president, is out of the country.
Prokt, an independent Russian media outlet, said the young woman’s visits to the official residence took place every two weeks. However, the existence of models has not become completely invisible to the public. She also appeared on Russian television and made a name for herself by commenting on the calendar, and soon after she was directly selected for the final stage of the Miss Russia contest – broadcast on state television with ties to the Kremlin’s allies.
Research cited by international media also suggests that Naxi movement leaders sought to use the young woman’s alleged closeness to the then-prime minister as a means of gaining political influence. However, none of the efforts attributed to this group would have been welcomed by President Putin.
After that, the president stopped inviting Ms. Kharcheva to private meetings, according to media reports cited in the report. She was supposed to be sent to MGIMO, one of Russia’s most traditional higher education institutions, and given a luxury apartment in Moscow. When asked about the incident, the now-businesswoman did not explicitly deny the allegations, only saying, “No one has ever asked me such a stupid question.”
The revelations came after the publication of a book that described Putin as a man who publicly defends traditional values but privately maintains “free” relationships with several women. This statement has also not been confirmed by the Kremlin.
About The Author
