Proekt: Putin’s Relatives Hold Influential Positions

Russian President Vladimir Putin has effectively turned public service into a family enterprise, according to an investigation by the independent outlet Proekt, reports Orda.kz.

The report claims that a wide network of the president’s relatives has entrenched itself in influential positions across government institutions and state-owned corporations — from ministries to major energy holdings.

According to Proekt, during his years in power, Putin has helped at least 24 relatives and close associates — including his daughters, alleged partners, and their family members — secure prestigious roles in the public sector.

Among them are the families of Maria Vorontsova and Katerina Tikhonova, the president’s daughters, as well as cousins Yevgeny and Igor Putin, and relatives Lyubov Shelomova and Lyubov Kruglova. All, the report says, have benefited from positions or financial gains directly tied to state structures.

The investigation also notes that relatives of four women previously linked to Putin — Lyudmila Ocheretnaya, his ex-wife; Alina Kabaeva, the former gymnast; Svetlana Krivonogikh, a businesswoman; and Alisa Kharcheva, a television presenter — have likewise found employment in civil service roles or at major state-controlled enterprises.

The most influential family connections, Proekt reports, stem from Putin’s cousin Yevgeny Putin.

His daughter Anna Tsivileva, the president’s niece, now serves as Deputy Minister of Defense, while her husband Sergei Tsivilev is Minister of Energy. 

Anna’s brother, Mikhail Putin, holds a senior executive position at Gazprom.

By Proekt’s estimates, Putin may hold a record for family-based nepotism among Russian leaders — surpassing even the practices seen during the Romanov dynasty. For comparison, former president Boris Yeltsin, long criticized for cronyism, placed no more than five relatives in high-ranking posts.

Earlier, on Putin’s birthday, media outlets also published photographs and names allegedly belonging to his sons.

Original Author: Alina Pak