Vladimir Putin's private life is shrouded in mystery. But at the economic forum in St. Petersburg – commonly known as "Putin's Davos" – the alleged daughters of the Russian president made unusual appearances.
The children of the Kremlin elite are slowly rising through the ranks, according to political analysts.
39-year-old Maria Vorontsova and 37-year-old Katerina Tikhonova participated in separate panel discussions – Vorontsova on "technological sovereignty" in the defense industry and Tikhonova on innovation and biofabrication, reported The Moscow Times.
Putin has never officially confirmed that the women are his daughters, but the two have been linked to Putin and sanctioned by the United States as "daughters of Russia's president". They are also accused of supporting the Russian defense industry through their work.
Katerina Tikhonova, a technology industry executive, works according to reports in military-related fields. Maria Vorontsova leads a state-financed genetics institute, according to news agency AFP.
The appearances at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) mark the first time the two have taken on such public roles, noted Russian media.
According to Bloomberg, other children of the Kremlin elite also participated in this year's forum, including the daughter of former Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu.
Analysts have noted that the children of the Kremlin elite are increasingly in the spotlight – and that family ties play a critical role in President Putin's pursuit of renewal and rejuvenation in Moscow's corridors of power, wrote The Moscow Times.
Putin has always avoided questions about his personal life, but it is generally known that he married Lyudmila Putina in 1983, who gave birth to two daughters, Maria and Katerina, in 1985 and 1986. Early in the 2000s, the Kremlin published a photo of Putin on vacation – with his wife and two blonde teenagers turned away from the camera.
The Putin couple confirmed their divorce in 2013.
Power in Russia is supposed to be divided between the president and the government, parliament, and judiciary, but in practice, most of the power lies with the president.
The president appoints the prime minister and, together with the prime minister, all other ministers. He also appoints the highest judges, the prosecutor general, the central bank governor, and is the supreme commander of the armed forces, as well as the highest authority for all departments and agencies dealing with internal and external security.
Putin won his first presidential election in 2000 and soon took on significant powers from the many governors of the federation. In 2008, the constitution prevented him from running for a third consecutive term, and Putin became prime minister instead.
In 2012, Putin was elected president of Russia again, and again in 2018. According to the rules in place at the time, he was not supposed to run for president again in 2024, but the constitution was rewritten after a disputed referendum in 2020 and earlier terms were nullified. This means that Putin can remain in power until 2036.
In the internationally condemned Russian presidential election in March this year, Putin won a supposed landslide victory.
Sources: Landguiden/UI, Nationalencyklopedin
