Putin’s Eldest Daughter Breaks Taboo with Unprecedented Media Appearance

This was an unusual media appearance.

On January 14, the Moscow Times, an independent Russian media outlet, reported that Mariya, 38, the eldest daughter of Russian President Vladimir Putin, gave an interview to a medical nonprofit organization. Mariya is a pediatric endocrinologist and vice rector of Moscow State University’s Faculty of Basic Medicine. The interview was recorded last December, and the 42-minute video, which was published on social networking sites, has been viewed more than 220,000 times.

 

“Public appearances by Putin’s family are extremely rare, given his tight-lipped approach to private matters, considered one of Russia’s biggest taboos. In 2008, a tabloid reported on Putin’s alleged relationship, but shortly after, the paper shut down, rumored to be crushed by Putin’s anger. 

Putin’s ex-wife, Lyudmila, who divorced in 2013, faced assassination speculations after discussing their private life with foreign media. While the authenticity of the assassination claims is uncertain, revealing the family’s dynamics appears unwelcome to Putin.”

The Intentions of the 83 Year Old Emperor

 

In the interview mentioned at the beginning of this article, his eldest daughter, Mariya, said, “Russia is a society centered on people, not on the economy,” and “The most valuable thing is human life.” In Russia, she was generally favorably received, with comments describing her as calm and pleasant, conveying the depth of her knowledge and education, and the magnitude of her humanity. On the other hand, Mariya did not touch on the conflict with Ukraine that she faces, and she was not introduced as President Putin’s daughter.

Undoubtedly, Maria’s media appearance is driven by President Putin’s calculations. To explain the chilling motives behind this move, we turn to Professor Ichiro Nakamura, an expert on the Russian situation and honorary professor at the University of Tsukuba.

“I believe Putin aims to strengthen the presence of his eldest daughter as one of the potential successors. With his absolute power, Putin is likely to be re-elected in the presidential elections this March. Due to constitutional amendments, he can continue as president until 2036, completing two more terms, effectively becoming a lifetime president. However, by the end of his second term, Putin will be 83 years old. It’s the right time, considering age, to designate someone to inherit power.

Maria is an ideal candidate to inherit the Putin Empire. In Russian history, the term Empress refers to Catherine the Great. She revitalized the Romanov dynasty, building the Russian Empire and earning immense faith and respect. Putin seems to be aiming to make his daughter a reincarnation of Catherine the Great. To revive Russia, increasingly isolated in the international community due to the conflict in Ukraine, making his daughter an Empress might be the only option.”

Professor Nakamura continues, “Maria herself likely has profound thoughts on this matter.”

“It’s a restraint towards Kabayeva, who is said to be Putin’s ‘mistress.’ Kabayeva gave birth to a son in December 2009 without revealing the father, sparking rumors that he might be Putin’s child. Given Kabayeva’s closeness to Putin, it’s only natural for her to consider making her son a future leader of Russia. 

For Maria, Putin’s biological daughter, this situation is not amusing. She and her supporters likely see themselves as the rightful heirs to Putin’s power. This unprecedented media appearance might mark the beginning of an internal conflict among those aspiring to inherit Putin’s immense authority.”

The bloody struggle for the next emperor after the absolutely powerful President Vladimir Putin is about to intensify in Russia.