Vladimir Putin’s 39-year-old tsar, who champions ‘family values’, ‘leaves her Orthodox priest husband for a Russian billionaire 11 years her senior’ – while still wanted by the International Criminal Court on war crimes charges
Vladimir Putin’s tsar, who values family values, has reportedly left her Orthodox priest husband for a Russian billionaire 11 years her senior.
Maria Lvova-Belova, 39, was appointed Russian commissioner for children’s rights by Putin just before he invaded Ukraine.
She remains wanted by the International Criminal Court on suspicion of war crimes over the unlawful deportation of hundreds of Ukrainian children from Russian-occupied territories.
She married her Orthodox priest husband Pavel Kogelman in 2003. They have five children together and another five whom they adopted. Mrs. Lvova-Belova has adopted 18 children in total, including a Ukrainian boy taken from the devastated city of Mariupol.
Speculation that she has left her husband arose after she was filmed holding hands with 50-year-old Russian oligarch Konstantin Malofeev during a church procession in the Russian city of Yekaterinburg last week.
Maria Lvova-Belova with her Orthodox priest husband Pavel Kogelman, whom she married in 2003
Mrs Lvova-Belova with Russian oligarch Konstantin Malofeev, for whom she reportedly left her husband
Mr Malofeyev has close ties to the Russian Orthodox Church, founded the ultra-conservative Tsargrad TV network and is known for his support for Putin’s invasion of Ukraine and has repeatedly called for Russia to become a monarchy.
He is currently under US and EU sanctions for financing separatists in eastern Ukraine in 2014. He once called Putin a “miracle of God.”
Ms Lvova-Belova and media magnate Mr Malofeev have not commented on the rumours, but sources close to the Orthodox Church say they are true.
Claims of the split have been widespread, including via the Telegram channel Brief, which asked its 570,000 subscribers: “Are we waiting for the wedding of the year?”
Since Ms. Lvova-Belova was appointed Russian commissioner for children’s rights, pro-Kremlin media have frequently published stories about her family.
She and her husband have spoken openly about their relationship, Christian faith, “traditional values,” adoption and their children.
The Commissioner for the Rights of the Child is still wanted by the International Criminal Court on charges of war crimes over the unlawful deportation of hundreds of Ukrainian children from Russian-occupied territories
She was appointed Russian Commissioner for Children’s Rights by Putin just before he invaded Ukraine
Messages on Ms Lvova-Belova’s Telegram channel suggest that she began working closely with Malofeev in early 2023.
In January last year, they announced the launch of a joint charity project to help Ukrainian children, called Happy Childhood.
The following month, they traveled together to the Russian-occupied territories in the Ukrainian regions of Zaporizhia, Donetsk and Luhansk.
Later that year, the media began publishing speculative reports about a relationship between Ms Lvova-Belova and Mr Malofeev, who reportedly separated from his wife last summer.
At least six sources have now confirmed to Russian journalists that she and Mr Malofeev are in a relationship.
A source close to her charity projects claims her youngest children live with their father, and another source close to Mr Malofeev added that she lives separately from the rest of her family.
Ms Lvova-Belova has been one of Putin’s most vocal supporters of the invasion of Ukraine. She has posted videos of herself on social media portraying herself as a model of family values and modesty, and has lectured Ukrainian children on the sanctity of marriage and religion.