Putin's Mysterious Family: Secrets, Marriage, and Divorce Revealed
For his entire political career, Vladimir Putin has kept his family and past closely guarded secrets. Dark shrouds of secrecy surround not only Putin's own history but also that of his former wife and children. Little is known about Putin's family, particularly his ex-wife. Yet, they have always been a subject of intrigue. Even after their separation, intriguing details emerged. Putin once described the thirty years spent together as "risky." So, who is the woman who may know Putin best, having witnessed his journey from KGB agent to President of Russia? Why did their paths diverge, and why did he keep her hidden for years?
Her full name, Ludmila Aleksandrovna Shkrebneva, reveals her birth in Kaliningrad, Soviet Union, on January 6, 1958. She grew up in a working-class family, with her father employed at a mechanical factory in Kaliningrad, and had a sister named Olga.
The Putin-Ludmila couple, after a three-and-a-half-year courtship, tied the knot on July 28, 1983, in a modest ceremony when Putin was still a KGB agent. However, Putin's marriage proposal had taken Ludmila by surprise. In a later interview, Ludmila recalled Putin's unique proposal. One evening, Putin began listing his flaws, telling Ludmila, "You know what kind of person I am now. It cannot be said that I am very easygoing." He admitted to being impulsive and even insulting people. Ludmila thought they were about to part ways. Yet, at the end of his speech, Putin proposed marriage. Although the proposal surprised Ludmila, she accepted it. Thus, Ludmila embarked on a marriage that she found quite challenging, described as "risky," and struggled to love.
During their marriage, the couple welcomed two daughters, Maria in 1985 and Katerina in 1986.
On June 6, 2013, Ludmila experienced another turning point in her life. On that day, she and Putin jointly made a press statement, announcing the end of their marriage after thirty years. The decision to divorce was mutual. Ludmila explained the reason for their separation in a speech, saying, "Our marriage ended because we almost never saw each other." She mentioned that Putin was entirely absorbed by his work. Putin added, "This is a mutual decision; we can hardly see each other, and both of us have our own lives."
Vladimir Putin, the President of Russia, can easily be described as an enigmatic and mysterious leader. He has a demanding daily schedule and dislikes intrusion into his personal life. Consequently, little is known about his private life. The same holds true for Putin's family and his ex-wife Ludmila, whose life continues to hold enigmatic details.