Vladimir Putin allegedly has two sons with his glamorous gymnast lover Alina Kabaeva, who live isolated on yachts and business jets.
Their names are Ivan Putin, nine, and Vladimir Putin (junior), five, and they live like royal princes in the dictator’s palaces, according to independent investigative media outlet Dossier Centre.
Astonishingly, the boys secretly have had British and New Zealand citizens as governesses, but now due to the war in Russia, the ruler, 71, recruits South African citizens to teach English to his heirs.
It comes after Putin warned he is a ‘bad example’ to children while teaching a lesson to the young students in a Siberian school to mark the first day of the new Russian academic year.
‘The sons of Vladimir Putin and Alina Kabaeva – Ivan Putin and Vladimir Putin (junior) – are isolated in residences, travelling on yachts and business jets,’ said the report.
‘They are guarded by FSO [Federal Protective Service] officers, with nannies, governesses and professional trainers by their side around the clock.
‘The brothers have little contact with their peers and see little of their parents, but they appreciate the rare moments they manage to spend with their father.’
They do not attend schools and are taught in Putin’s palaces like the royal children of the last Russian tsar.
The revelations are likely to infuriate Putin who has kept the sons hidden and even refuses to acknowledge his relationship with Olympic gold-medal winning Kabaeva, 41, which has existed since 2008, and perhaps earlier.
Dossier Centre says it has found pictures of Ivan but does not publish them for ‘ethnical reasons’, yet says the lavish lifestyle of the secret children is of legitimate interest.
Ivan is Putin’s first son after three daughters – Maria, 39, Katerina, 37 and Luiza, 21.
The boy told his tutors of the dictator’s reaction when he was born in an elite clinic in Switzerland.
The report says Putin was so happy that he shouted: ‘Hurray! Finally a boy!’
Vladimir (junior) was born under tight security in Moscow with doctors from the Swiss clinic.
The Putin princes ‘cannot be found in government databases, from infancy they have cover documents, which are mostly made for spies and people under state protection.
‘Their dates of birth are only known by their immediate family. They don’t fly on regular flights, they have separate planes. They don’t attend kindergartens or schools, they are [taught by] hired governesses. They live in residences guarded by the FSO, sail on yachts and ride armoured trains.’
One palace is at Valdai, amid forests and lakes north of Moscow, according to a source from inside the Putin household.
‘Dozens of people are involved in the daily life of the president’s family: drivers, security guards, teachers, cooks, pilots, trainers, waiters, assistants and many others,’ said the outlet.
An for the staff for the Putin children was published by English Nanny earlier this year, when the boys were eight and four.
It wanted a ‘live-in English teacher’ for the Russian’s ruler’s family which was not named.
‘The family lives in isolation’, but the successful candidate would have access to a gym and tennis court and must undergo medical tests for the first two weeks. The family prefer candidates with South African passport.’
They ‘work in isolation’ and cannot ‘leave the employer’s territory’.
Teachers are paid £6,500 a month for tutoring Putin’s children – yet many do not remain for long in the dictator’s employment, and there is a regular turnover.
Putin was ‘unable to protect his children from Western influence,’ says the report, despite his loathing of the West.
‘His eldest son Ivan prefers Disney cartoons and, to the displeasure of his parents, plays pretending to be their characters.
‘They have to play mostly alone or with adults, who are constantly around Putin’s sons. They only see their parents late at night.’
Like princes ‘the brothers have their own cars with drivers – the teachers and servants have separate cars’.
‘At the disposal of the children in Valdai are two ponies, rabbits and a St. Bernard, who is looked after by two dog handlers from the FSO…..
‘Among the toys is a large collection of Lego construction sets and an iPad – not only for games, but also for video calls. They have personal chefs who prepare separate meals for them.
‘Like Vladimir Putin, his sons have their own mugs, and they drink only from them. Near the children, there are always security guards from among the officers of the presidential security service, the main division of the FSO.’
Amid tight security, Putin teaches his eldest son ice hockey, sometimes watched by Kabaeva.
Summer holidays may involve ‘the 84-meter yacht Graceful….[with] Kabaeva and her two children on board….briefly joined by Putin himself’ in the Gulf of Finland.
The teachers were on a second yacht which the children were delivered to daily. In winter the Putins spend time at his mountain ski lodge Achipse near Sochi.
‘In addition to yachts and an armoured train, the family has several planes and helicopters at their disposal.’
The dictator is reported to spoil his secret sons.
‘Putin treats his sons even more reverently than he once did his daughters,’ said the report.
‘Their teachers, security guards and other staff are afraid of Putin, and he himself is the only one who can speak sternly with the boys. ‘
Kabaeva, according to a Dossier source, can also be stern and even emotional, but they only take their father’s punishments seriously. Probably, their father’s praise is the main source of their pride.’
Rumours of then married Putin’s love for Kabaeva first surfaced in 2008, yet the Kremlin denied them.
‘I have a private life in which I do not permit interference. It must be respected,’ he barked in one interview.
He deplored ‘those who with their snotty noses and erotic fantasies prowl into others’ lives’
She appeared on a Russian show called One Hundred Questions for Adults when she was questioned about her private life by an audience of children.
In one clip, was asked by a young boy if she had met her ‘ideal man’ to which she replied giggling: ‘I have.’
She was then asked who the mystery man in her life was but would only reveal ‘he’s a very good man, a great man’ though she added: ”I love him very much.’
Kabaeva said: ‘Sometimes you feel so happy that you even feel scared.’
This was after she posed almost nude for Maxim magazine and was described as ‘full of sex’ by a photographer.
Putin this week appeared to let slip that he had young children in a rare glimpse into his private life.
‘Members of my family, the little ones, speak Chinese too,’ he told an audience of children. They speak it fluently.’ His sons are also taught German.