The latest sanctions imposed on Russia by the United States and its allies target the two adult daughters of Russian President Vladimir Putin — Katerina Tikhonova and Maria Vorontsova. Officials from the US said this has been done as the two could have control over some of their father’s assets. But, the Kremlin has expressed surprise at the West’s move as little is known publicly about the two women.
The Russian president has spoken little about his family life, and has remained of the steadfast opinion that his children as well as grandchildren should grow up as “normal citizens” and not as “princes or princesses”. The US treasury said Tikhonova is “a tech executive whose work supports… the Russian defense industry” while Vorontsova leads state-funded genetics research programmes “personally overseen by Putin”, according to a report by news agency
Both of Putin’s daughters are with his ex-wife Lyudmila Shkrebneva. In Putin’s official biography on the Kremlin’s website, his daughter Maria was born in 1985 before the family moved to Dresden where Putin served as a KGB agent. Katerina was born the next year.
Putin has referred to his daughters in rare remarks over the years, saying he was proud that both had received their university education in Russia, spoke several European languages and lived in the country as well. During a press conference in 2019, Putin declined to directly answer a question about his daughters’ growing business clout and their ties to the government, never actually acknowledging that Vorontsova and Tikhonova were his children and referring to them as simply “women.”
“I am proud of them. They continue to study and they work,” Putin said during another press conference several years earlier, adding, “they are not involved in any business activity and they are not involved in politics. They are not trying to push their way anywhere.”
Putin has given “security concerns” as the reason behind not disclosing anything about his family. He has grandchildren as well, but would not disclose how many. “I have grandkids, I am happy. They are very good, so sweet. I really enjoy spending time with them.”
