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A split photo of two rooms from the luxury apartment of Alina Kabaeva, Putin's rumored girlfriend.
A split photo of two rooms from the luxury apartment of Alina Kabaeva, Putin's rumored girlfriend.

The Project

  • Alina Kabaeva, a former rhythmic gymnast and politician, is the rumored longtime girlfriend of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
  • According to an investigation by The Project, Putin bought Kabaeva a luxury Sochi apartment in 2011.
  • Take a look inside the $15 million penthouse considered to be "the largest apartment in Russia."

 

Although Russian President Vladimir Putin is famously secretive about his personal life, he's been rumored to be in a relationship with Alina Kabaeva for years.
putin flowers
Russian President Vladimir Putin carries a bouquet of red roses during a ceremony at the Red Square, in Moscow, on November 4, 2022.

Contributor/Getty Images

It's unclear when the couple got together but rumors have been circulating since at least 2008, The Project reported.

Putin was previously married to Lyudmila Shkrebneva from 1983 to 2014. Despite the couple having two daughters, a biographer speculated the marriage may have been problematic and loveless.

Alina Kabaeva is a former gymnastics champion and Russian politician. She's also 30 years younger than Putin.
Alina Kabaeva vladimir putin girlfriend
Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) smiles next to Russian gymnast Alina Kabaeva during a meeting with the Russian Olympic team at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia on November 4, 2004.

REUTERS/ITAR-TASS/PRESIDENTIAL PRESS SERVICE

Kabaeva won 2 Olympic medals, 14 World Championship medals, and 21 European Championship medals as a professional gymnast. Kabaeva was briefly a politician before becoming the chair of Russia's National Media Group.

It's long been reported that Putin and Kabaeva have a child together. Both have denied the rumors of their relationship and offspring. 

According to The Project, a firm tied to Putin bought Kabaeva the penthouse and a separate apartment at a luxury residence in Sochi in 2011.
The
The "Royal Park" luxury apartment building. Putin bought Kabaeva the penthouse and an apartment.

The Project

Sochi is one of Putin's favorite destinations in Russia, The Project reported.

According to an advertising leaflet, the penthouse at the luxury development was listed at $15 million in 2011 and is considered "the largest apartment in Russia," The Project reported.

Other apartments were reportedly purchased for Kabaeva's family members.

 

 

The penthouse features a set of gold and marble grand staircases.
The marble staircase entrance to Kabaeva's apartment.
The marble staircase entrance to Kabaeva's apartment.

The Project

There are multiple staircases between the floors of the penthouse, according to The Project. 

Among the rooms is a floor-to-ceiling marble dining room.
The dining room of Kabaeva's apartment.
The dining room of Kabaeva's apartment.

The Project

The Project reported that the dining room is "almost entirely finished in marble."

Among its many amenities, the penthouse features an outdoor pool with a view of the Black Sea.
The outdoor pool of the luxury apartment Putin reportedly bought Kabaeva.
The outdoor pool of the luxury apartment Putin reportedly bought Kabaeva.

The Project

Near the pool are an outdoor tanning bed and a "plunge pool" with pressurized jets, according to The Project. There's also a bar with waterfall walls and a mosaic floor close by. 

The outdoor area also includes a Japanese-style relaxation courtyard and a Moroccan-style barbecue gazebo.

In between the outdoor amenities, there's a mini-dance floor, too.

There's a private cinema, too.
The movie theater in Kabaeva's luxury Sochi apartment penthouse.
The movie theater in Kabaeva's luxury Sochi apartment penthouse.

The Project

The movie theater is reportedly furnished with expensive wood.

Other features of the penthouse include a billiard room and a spa.

The luxury digs include a warm, wood-paneled study with an ocean view.
The study of Kabaeva's penthouse apartment.
The study of Kabaeva's penthouse apartment.

The Project

There's plenty of space for reading, writing, and studying. The study is nearby a private gallery for art collections, The Project reported. 

The penthouse features a crystal chandelier dangling above the bed inside a massive bedroom.
One of the bedrooms of Kabaeva's apartment.
One of the bedrooms of Kabaeva's apartment.

The Project

The bedroom is reportedly connected to a circular suite of living rooms.

And for those cooler Sochi nights, the penthouse has a marble fireplace.
The fireplace room in Kabaeva's apartment.
The fireplace room in Kabaeva's apartment.

The Project

It's possible Kabaeva has moved to a more private residence.
Russian politician and former Olympic Champion, Alina Kabaeva, aplauds as Prime Minister Vladimir Putin (not pictured) delivers his speech at the congress of the United Russia Party November, 27, 2011 in Moscow, Russia.
Russian politician and former Olympic Champion, Alina Kabaeva, aplauds as Prime Minister Vladimir Putin (not pictured) delivers his speech at the congress of the United Russia Party November, 27, 2011 in Moscow, Russia.

Sasha Mordovets/Getty Images

There are over 20 different residences that she could be living at, according to The Project's investigations into all real estate that has been associated with Kabaeva and her closest relatives. 

The Project reported that Kabaeva likely spends her time living at private a 13,000-square-foot mansion in Valdai that Putin built for her.

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