Father of twins? Why Putin's personal life is a taboo for the Russian press

Usually the birth of twins is a cause for celebration. And if one of the parents is the head of state, and the other is a prominent public figure, then the press will be filled with their photographs. However, Russia seems to have become an exception to this rule: discussion in the media of events in Vladimir Putin’s personal life is strictly prohibited here, writes “Voice of America".

In Moscow in recent days, there are rumors that the alleged “first lady” of Russia, the Olympic champion in rhythmic gymnastics Alina Kabaeva, gave birth to twins in May. For the first time, rumors of a secret connection between Kabaeva and Putin appeared in 2008, when Kabaeva gave birth to a daughter in a private Swiss clinic, which was allegedly recommended to her by Italian politician Silvio Berlusconi.

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Then, as now, the Kremlin stopped a number of publications about the birth of Kabaeva. Putin, who fiercely guarded the secret of his personal life (perhaps a habit since his time at the KGB), has always denied reports of his connection with the gymnast who became the chairman of the board of directors of the National Media Group in 2014.

In 2008, answering the question of the journalist of the Nezavisimaya Gazeta about the rumors about his upcoming wedding with Kabaeva, Putin said: “I have always treated people who have a bad nose and with their erotic fantasies who have a bad life” .

In 2013, the Russian president announced a divorce from his wife, Lyudmila Shkrebneva. The marriage lasted 30 years, during which time Putin had two daughters. Putin reported this news in an interview with the Russia-24 channel during an intermission at a ballet show at the State Kremlin Palace, calling the decision on divorce “common.” Shkrebneva subsequently married.

Sources in several Russian media confirm that the Kremlin has quickly responded to reports of regular births of Kabaeva, once again demonstrating a tough approach to publications that publish reports about the unofficial life of the president. In 2016, three editors of the Russian RBC media group were fired due to the publication of material about assets that belong to Putin.

The website of the newspaper Moskovsky Komsomolets, which belongs to oligarch Arkady Rotenberg, who is part of Vladimir Putin’s “inner circle”, has published a note about Alina Kabaeva’s alleged birth. Soon after, the publication disappeared from the newspaper’s website. Representatives of the Russian authorities refused to comment on this message.

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However, after this message about the birth of twins began to appear on many news sites - such a publication appeared on dni.ru under the heading "Alina Kabaeva who gave birth to twins disappeared."

Dom2Life, a show business news site that belongs to another oligarch from Putin’s entourage, Alexander Karmanov, first reported about the birth of Kabaeva 12 on May, the day of her 36 anniversary.

According to the Russian journalist Sergey Kanev, Kabaeva gave birth to twins using a caesarean section at the Academician Kulakov Scientific Center for Obstetrics, Gynecology and Perinatology, where on this occasion an entire floor was specifically released to serve the VI clients. In an interview with the British Daily Mail, Kanev said that the operation was carried out with the participation of an Italian doctor.

Russian journalists fear that in the future the state will only intensify attempts to restrict the independence of newsrooms. In March, Putin signed new laws against the spread of "fake news" and about "contempt of the state." Violators face fines and even imprisonment. Experts warn that the wording of the law will bring to justice those Russian journalists who are still trying to convey the truth to their audience.