The former wife of Russian President Vladimir Putin has remarried to the head of a company reportedly operating under her patronage, an investigation by Russian news website Sobesednik revealed.
Lyudmila Ocheretnaya, known for over 30 years as Lyudmila Putina, married 37-year-old Artur Ocheretny early last year, receiving a new passport bearing her second husband’s surname in February. According to Russian media, Mr Ocheretny had been working at the Centre for the Development of Interpersonal Communications - one of his new wife's projects promoting Russian language and culture - for several years.
Details of the former first lady’s new marriage were fact-checked by Russian anti-corruption campaigner Alexei Navalny, who confirmed that the registration of Ms Ocheretnaya’s properties had been transferred from the name Putina to Ocheretnaya last year.
The date and place of birth on the registration also matched earlier documents.
Mr Putin and his former wife announced their plans to divorce on camera during the intermission of a performance of the ballet Esmeralda in 2013. “It was a joint decision,” Ms Ocheretnaya said.
Little was known about their marriage, with Ms Ocheretnaya and the couple’s two daughters kept out of the media spotlight. Since then, Mr Putin has reportedly been in a relationship with 32-year-old rhythmic gymnast-turned-politician Alina Kabaeva.
