The two, believed to be daughters of Russian President Vladimir Putin, made a rare public appearance at a major economic forum in the president’s hometown of St. Petersburg this week.
Putin keeps details of his family life closely guarded and has never publicly acknowledged that Maria Vorontsova, 39, and Katerina Tikhonova, 37, are his daughters.
However, the pair have been widely linked to Putin through various media reports, and in 2022 the U.S. Treasury Department sanctioned them as “daughters of Russian President Putin.”
On Thursday and Friday, he will appear on a panel at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), Russia’s main annual business summit, and Putin is due to deliver a key speech later on Friday.
Tikhonova, a technology executive who works in a field linked to the Russian military, was speaking on a panel Thursday about the defense sector’s role in strengthening Russia’s “technological sovereignty.”
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“Nation sovereignty has been one of the main themes in recent years and is the foundation of Russia’s security,” Tikhonova said in her opening remarks delivered via video link.
Vorontsova, a biological researcher who heads the state-run Institute of Genetics, spoke at a panel on Friday about innovations in biodiversity.
Organizers listed her in the event brochure as a member of the Presidium of the Russian Association for the Advancement of Science.
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In recent years, the pair have taken on more public roles, including speaking at various forums and industry events.
But public appearances are still rare.
While the two had previously attended SPIEF as guests, independent Russian media reported that this was their first time taking part in the official program.
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During his 25 years in power, Putin has occasionally referred to the existence of his “daughters” in public.
But he never gave any details, never confirmed their identities, and never explicitly took any photographs with them.
Putin’s ex-wife Lyudmila gave birth to two children, Maria and Katerina, during their marriage in 1985 and 1986.
In the early 2000s, the Kremlin released photos of Putin on holiday in which his wife and two blonde teenage daughters turned away from the camera and hid their faces.
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