A new book by French journalist Celine Nony alleges that Vladimir Putin’s rumoured lover, Alina Kabaeva, received lavish gifts and bore two secret sons, sparking tensions in Russia’s gymnastics world and fueling intrigue around the president’s private life.
Alina Kabaeva, Russia’s celebrated rhythmic gymnast and rumoured lover of President Vladimir Putin, is once again in the spotlight following revelations in a new book by French journalist Celine Nony.
The 42-year-old Olympic gold medalist, once dubbed “Russia’s most flexible woman,” allegedly began a secret relationship with Putin in 2006, years before his divorce from ex-wife Lyudmila.
Nony’s book, Alina: Putin’s Secret Love, draws on sources including Kabaeva’s relatives to claim the affair caused tensions within Russia’s gymnastics elite.
According to Nony, Kabaeva’s longtime coach, Irina Viner, disapproved of the romance, despite being the one to first introduce her to Putin.
Their relationship later soured, with Kabaeva establishing her own gymnastics school and reportedly playing a role in Viner’s removal as head of the national team.
Kabaeva’s rise in public life mirrored her sporting success, but she retreated from the limelight after reports of her relationship with Putin surfaced in 2008.
Nony alleges that Putin showered her family with luxury gifts, including apartments in Moscow, St Petersburg, and Sochi, as well as mansions in elite districts.
The book also revives claims that Kabaeva and Putin have two secret sons, raised in guarded luxury residences and tutored privately in languages including English and German.
Putin has consistently dismissed such reports, once telling journalists to keep their “snotty noses” out of his private life.
Nony, who has spent nearly three decades at L’Equipe, says she has been warned not to return to Russia following her investigation.