Vladimir Putin’s gymnast “lover” could reportedly take over Wagner group boss Yevgeny Prigozhin as head of a powerful media company following his aborted mutiny against the Russian leadership.
Alina Kabaeva, 40, is an Olympic gold medal-winning rhythmic gymnast who is believed to be the mother of at least three of Putin’s children, and was previously labeled Russia’s “uncrowned tsarina.”
She is the chairman of National Media Group and has now been tipped to take the top job at Prigozhin’s Patriot Media Group as the Russian regime tries to soften its influence.
Patriot, which includes dozens of media companies, was shut down last week following Prigozhin’s challenge to Moscow in late June. But reports emerged that the outlets could be resold to NMG.
The Kremlin is reportedly working to dismantle the mercenary chief’s empire, an effort described as one of the most complex corporate takeovers in history due to its vast asset portfolio.
Alina Kabaeva, Vladimir Putin’s gymnast ‘lover’, could take over Yevgeny Prigozhin’s media empire, according to reports
The Kremlin is desperately working to dismantle the mercenary chief’s corporate empire
Kabaeva, 40, is an Olympic gold medal-winning rhythmic gymnast who is believed to be the mother of at least three of Putin’s children.
Kabaeva, who has held the position of Chairman of the Board of Directors at NMG since 2014 and is a loyal ally of the Russian President, is well positioned to be one of those benefiting from the dissolution of the corporate interests of Prigozhin.
Wagner PMC founder Prigozhin, who previously hosted Kremlin banquets and was known as “Putin’s chief,” was the head of Patriot’s board of trustees until May, TASS reports.
He then became deputy head of the supervisory board of the St. Petersburg-based Russian news site RTVI, citing Prigozhin.
The group includes the Internet Research Agency, commonly known as a “troll factory,” which worked to advance Russia’s business and political interests abroad.
It also owned outlets including RIA FAN, People’s News and Economics Today – which Telegram channel Mash reported last week would be shutting down permanently.
Alina Kabaeva shakes hands with Vladimir Putin during a meeting with other gymnasts in the Kremlin (undated)
According to Russian communications watchdog Roskomnadzor, access to the group’s websites and its news media in Russia is restricted. The agency has not given a reason for the restrictions.
Kabaeva, a Washington-sanctioned rhythmic gymnast, has now been tipped as Patriot’s likely new boss, according to insider text messages seen by the Wall Street Journal.
The 40-year-old’s varied career spanned from beginning her gymnastics training at the age of three to becoming one of Russia’s most influential media moguls.
In 2001, at the age of 18, the nine-time world champion was stripped of six World Cup medals after testing positive for a banned diuretic.
Russia’s Alina Kabaeva waves during the medal ceremony for the women’s individual all-around final in the rhythmic gymnastics competition at the 2004 Athens Olympics
Known for her extreme flexibility, Kabaeva won gold at the 2004 Athens Olympics before retiring in 2007.
She had a stint as a Loyal Member of Parliament – with a group of ‘Putin Babes’ who wanted to give his United Russia party a ‘sexier image’.
Then, in 2014, she drastically changed roles again, becoming the nominal head of the media group owned by a friend-oligarch of Putin.
She reportedly earned some £8 million a year, compared to Russia’s average annual figure of £5,600.
There were reports that Putin was planning to divorce his wife in 2004 and marry the gymnast. Pictured: Kabaeva and Putin at a Kremlin event (undated)
Although the gymnast and the Russian dictator – who is thirty years her senior – have never publicly acknowledged any relationship, they have often been linked.
It is even said that the gymnast lives with him in a secret forest palace guarded by the elite FSO security service in Valdai – 400 kilometers northwest of Moscow.
There were also reports that Putin was planning to divorce his wife in 2004 and marry the gymnast.
The allegations were published in a Moscow newspaper owned by former KGB colleague Alexander Lebedev – which was summarily closed after Putin angrily refuted them.
Neither Putin nor Kabaeva denied the allegations when initially made by the reporter.