Katerina Tikhonova

Second daughter of Vladimir Putin (born 1986)

In this name that follows Eastern Slavic naming customs, the patronymic is  Vladimirovna and the family name is  Tikhonova.

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Katerina Tikhonova

Катерина Тихонова

(L–R) Lyudmila, Maria, Vladimir and Katerina in Primorsky Krai in 2002

Born|

Katerina Vladimirovna Putina

(1986-08-31) 31 August 1986 (age 38)

Dresden, East Germany (now Germany)

Citizenship| Russian
Alma mater|

* Saint Petersburg State University
* Moscow State University

Spouse|

Kirill Shamalov

(m. 2013; div. 2018)​

Partner| Igor Zelensky
Children| 1
Parents|

* Vladimir Putin (father)
* Lyudmila Putina (mother)

Relatives| Maria Vorontsova (sister)

Katerina Vladimirovna Tikhonova (Russian: Катерина Владимировна Тихонова, IPA: [kətʲɪˈrʲinə ˈtʲixənəvə], née Putina, Путина; born 31 August 1986)[1] is a Russian scientist, manager, and former acrobatic dancer. She is the second daughter of Russian president Vladimir Putin.[2][3][4]

Tikhonova heads the Innopraktika company, which unites two initiatives of Moscow State University: the National Intellectual Development Foundation (NIDF) and the National Intellectual Reserve Centre (NIRC).[2] She is also deputy director of the Institute for Mathematical Research of Complex Systems at Moscow State University.[5]

## Early life

[edit]

Tikhonova was born in Dresden, East Germany, the younger of two daughters of Vladimir Putin and Lyudmila Putina (née Shkrebneva). The family moved to Leningrad (now Saint Petersburg) in the spring of 1991. She attended Peterschule (Russian: Петершуле), a German gymnasium in Saint Petersburg.[6] Later, during violent gang wars involving the Tambov Gang while it was taking control of Saint Petersburg's energy trade, she and her sister Maria were sent by their father, who feared for their safety, to Germany where their legal guardian was former Stasi officer Matthias Warnig, who had worked with their father in Dresden as part of a KGB cell and established the Dresdner Bank branch in Saint Petersburg.[7] After her family moved to Moscow, she attended German School Moscow.[8] She dropped the Putin surname and took the patronymic name of her maternal grandmother,[9] Yekaterina Tikhonovna Shkrebneva,[10] as her surname.[2]

## Studies and career

[edit]

After taking entrance exams along with her sister Maria in July 2005, Tikhonova began her university studies at Saint Petersburg State University where its rector Lyudmila Verbitskaya was a close friend of her father.[11] Although she was very interested in Chinese studies, she studied Japanese history, majoring in Asian studies under the university's dean, Yevgeny Zelenev [ru]; she graduated in June 2009.[12][13][14] Tikhonova graduated from Moscow State University with a specialization in Japan.[15] She allegedly has a master's degree in physics and mathematics.[16]

Tikhonova is the director of Innopraktika, a $1.7 billion development project to create a science center at Moscow State University.[1][2] Innopraktika is competing with the Skolkovo Innovation Center and is referred to by Stanislav Belkovsky as being the "anti-Skolkovo".[9] In February 2020, Innopraktika announced that Tikhonova was appointed head of a new artificial intelligence institute at Moscow State University.[16]

In May 2019, she defended her dissertation and received a degree in physics and mathematics. The scientific work was called "Mathematical problems of correcting the activity of vestibular mechanoreceptors". This was preceded by a series of scientific publications in collaboration with well-known scientists.[17][18] The rector of the Moscow State University Viktor Sadovnichiy was the scientific supervisor.[19][20][21] The legitimacy of her degree, however, has not yet been confirmed by independent sources.

In December 2019, Tikhonova became a member of the Council for the Development of Physical Culture and Mass Sports under the Government of the Russian Federation.[22][23][24]

In July 2022, she became co-chair of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs's import substitution coordination council.[25][26]

## Acrobatic dancing

[edit]

In the mid-2010s, Tikhonova was fond of acrobatic rock'n'roll – a rare, non-Olympic sport, in the world ranking of which there are only about two hundred people. She and partner Ivan Klimov came in fifth place at a 2013 world championship event in Switzerland.[27] In 2014, at the Russian Championship, the pair took second place.[28] In the World Federation, Tikhonova at one time held the post of Vice President for Expansion & Marketing.[29] Then, acrobatic rock and roll began to gain popularity in Russia. From 2016 to 2019, in the Moscow region, at the sports school where Tikhonova studied, an acrobatic rock and roll center was built for 2 billion rubles.[28][30]

## Sanctions

[edit]

On 6 April 2022, because of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Tikhonova was sanctioned by the United States due to her being an adult child of Vladimir Putin.[31][32] The United States Department of the Treasury stated, "Tikhonova is a tech executive whose work supports the [Government of the Russian Federation] and defense industry."[31] On 8 April, the United Kingdom and the European Union also imposed sanctions on Tikhonova.[33][34] On 12 April, Japan imposed sanctions on her.[35] On 21 November, she was sanctioned by New Zealand.[36][37]

## Personal life

[edit]

In 2013, Tikhonova married businessman Kirill Shamalov,[4][38] the son of Nikolay Shamalov, a co-owner of Rossiya Bank.[2] He is vice-president of Sibur Holding, which is a Russian gas processing and petrochemicals company headquartered in Moscow. The Russian government holds 38% of the shares of the gas company. At the time, the couple was estimated to hold assets worth around $2 billion.[2] In January 2018, Bloomberg News reported that Tikhonova and Shamalov had separated.[39]

She reportedly has a daughter, born 2017, with ballet dancer Igor Zelensky.[40][41][42]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b Bershidsky, Leonid (29 January 2015). "Putin Family Values". Bloomberg. Archived from the original on 29 January 2015. Retrieved 11 November 2015.
2. ^ a b c d e f Grey, Stephen; Kuzmin, Andrey; Piper, Elizabeth (10 November 2015). "Putin's daughter, a young billionaire and the president's friends". Reuters. Retrieved 11 November 2015.
3. ^ "Dance colleague identifies Putin's younger daughter". Reuters. 28 November 2017.
4. ^ a b Stubbs, Jack; Kuzmin, Andrey; Grey, Stephen; Anin, Roman (17 December 2015). "The man who married Putin's daughter and then made a fortune". Reuters. Retrieved 9 December 2017.
5. ^ "МГУ: Институт математических исследований сложных систем". msu.ru (in Russian). Retrieved 26 July 2021.
6. ^ Болотская, Рита (Bolotskaya, Rita); Земзаре, Инга (Zemzare, Inga) (7 August 2002). "Дочки №1: Машу и Катю Путиных воспитывают в строгости, но они все равно часто подкалывают друг друга" [Daughters # 1: Masha and Katya Putin are brought up in severity, but they still often tease each other]. Собеседник.ру (Sobesenik) (in Russian). Archived from the original on 7 November 2002. Retrieved 26 January 2021.`{{cite news}}`: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) Alt URL
7. ^ Belton 2020, pp. 101–102, 521–522.
8. ^ "DECIPHERING PUTIN AS HIS REGIME DAWNS." Philadelphia Inquirer. 19 March 2000. A01 National. Retrieved on 31 October 2011. "The German influence has been long-lasting. Putin speaks the language fluently, and his daughters, 13 and 14 years old, attend a German school in Moscow."
9. ^ a b Reznik, Irina; Pismennaya, Evgenia; Arkhipov, Ilya (30 January 2015). "Putin's Dancing Daughter Said to Run Fund Backed by Dad's Allies". Bloomberg. Retrieved 11 November 2015.
10. ^ Grey, Stephen; Kuzmin, Andrey; Piper, Elizabeth (11 November 2015). "Russia's new princelings: who is Putin's rock'n'roll daughter?". The Guardian. Reuters. Retrieved 1 February 2023.
11. ^ Пахмутова, Наталья (Pakhmutova, Natalia) (3 August 2005). "Мария и Екатерина поступили в Петербургский госуниверситет" [Maria and Ekaterina entered the St. Petersburg State University]. Жизнь (Life) (in Russian). Retrieved 5 March 2021.`{{cite news}}`: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
12. ^ "Тайная жизнь дочерей Путина" [Secret life of Putin's daughters]. Журналистское агентство Free Lance Bureau (FLB) (Free Lance Bureau) (in Russian). 13 January 2011. Archived from the original on 15 January 2011. Retrieved 5 March 2021.
13. ^ Herszenhorn, David M. (5 May 2012). "In the Spotlight of Power, Putin Keeps His Private Life Veiled in Shadows". The New York Times. Retrieved 2 March 2020. "Both daughters attended German-language schools and St. Petersburg State University, where Maria studied biology and Yekaterina majored in Asian Studies."
14. ^ "Список. выпускников Санкт-Петербургского государственного университета" [List. graduates of St. Petersburg state university]. St. Petersburg State University (spbu.ru) (in Russian). 15 June 2009. Archived from the original on 3 June 2010. Retrieved 5 March 2021. ""See the Восточный (Oriental studies) section under Бакалавры (Bachelors) where she is listed as "Путина Катерина Владимировна" (Putina Katerina Vladimirovna). The list was published as № 11 (3797), 29 июня 2009 года (29 June 2009)."
15. ^ Anin, Roman; Dmitriev, Denis; Shmagun, Olesya; Shleynov, Roman; Velikovski, Dmitry; Savina, Sonya; Dolinina, Irina; Marokhovskaya, Alesya (7 December 2020). "Love, Offshores, and Administrative Resources: How Marrying Putin's Daughter Gave Kirill Shamalov a World of Opportunity". Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project. Retrieved 9 December 2020. "The BBC's Russian service quoted Viktor Sadovnichy, the rector of Moscow State University, as saying that Tikhonova had graduated from its Institute of Asian and African Countries with a specialization in Japan."
16. ^ a b "Putin's youngest daughter to run artificial intelligence institute". Reuters. 28 February 2020. Retrieved 29 February 2020.
17. ^ "Tikhonova, Katerina V." zbmath.org. Retrieved 26 July 2021.
18. ^ "Тихонова Катерина Владимировна". mathnet.ru (in Russian). Retrieved 26 July 2021.
19. ^ "Катерина Тихонова стала кандидатом наук". Forbes Russia (in Russian). 24 May 2019.
20. ^ "Математические задачи коррекции активности вестибулярных механорецепторов" (in Russian). dissercat.com. Retrieved 26 July 2021.
21. ^ ""Таких ученых не так много". Как предполагаемая дочь Путина защищала диссертацию в МГУ" (in Russian). BBC Russian. 24 May 2019.
22. ^ "Состав Совета при Правительстве Российской Федерации по развитию физической культуры и массового спорта в редакции распоряжения от 23 декабря 2019 года №3147-р" (in Russian). government.ru. 23 December 2019.
23. ^ "Предполагаемая дочь Путина Катерина Тихонова вошла в совет по физкультуре и спорту при правительстве. Вместе с дочерью Шойгу" (in Russian). Meduza. 26 December 2019.
24. ^ "Katerina Tikhonova joined Ksenia Shoigu in the government sports council". rusletter.com. 27 December 2019.
25. ^ "Putin's Daughter Takes Top 'Import Substitution' Role". The Moscow Times. 13 July 2022. Archived from the original on 25 July 2022. Retrieved 25 July 2022.
26. ^ Bennetts, Marc (13 July 2022). "Putin's daughter Katerina Tikhonova to lead sanctions-busting group". The Times. Archived from the original on 13 July 2022. Retrieved 25 July 2022.
27. ^ Grey, Stephen; Kuzmin, Andrey; Piper, Elizabeth (10 November 2015). "Putin's daughter, a young billionaire and the president's friends". Reuters. Retrieved 2 March 2020. "In 2013, she and her dancing partner came fifth in a world championship event in Switzerland."
28. ^ a b "На базе спортшколы Катерины Тихоновой построят центр рок-н-ролла с вертолетной площадкой" (in Russian). TV Rain. 27 October 2016.
29. ^ "Presidium WRRC". wrrc.org. Archived from the original on 20 November 2016. Retrieved 7 April 2015.
30. ^ "Спорткомплекс "Жаворонки": акробатический рок-н-ролл и площадки для паркура". stroi.mos.ru (in Russian). 23 April 2012. Archived from the original on 26 July 2021. Retrieved 26 July 2021.
31. ^ a b "U.S. Treasury Escalates Sanctions on Russia for Its Atrocities in Ukraine". United States Department of the Treasury. 6 April 2022. Archived from the original on 6 April 2022. Retrieved 6 April 2022.
32. ^ "Ukraine War: Putin's daughters targeted by US sanctions". BBC News. 6 April 2022. Archived from the original on 6 April 2022. Retrieved 6 April 2022.
33. ^ Jolly, Jasper (8 April 2022). "UK joins US in imposing sanctions on Putin's daughters". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 9 April 2022. Retrieved 9 April 2022.
34. ^ Petrequin, Samuel; Casert, Raf; Cook, Lorne (8 April 2022). Written at Brussels. "EU imposes sanctions on Putin's daughters". New York City: Associated Press. Archived from the original on 9 April 2022. Retrieved 9 April 2022.
35. ^ "Japan OKs asset freezes on 398 Russians, including Putin's daughters". The Japan Times. 12 April 2022. Archived from the original on 12 April 2022. Retrieved 12 April 2022.
36. ^ Mahuta, Nanaia (21 November 2022). "Further sanctions on the political and economic elites of Russia and Belarus". New Zealand Government. Archived from the original on 21 November 2022. Retrieved 24 November 2022.
37. ^ Pearse, Adam (21 November 2022). "Russia-Ukraine war: President Vladimir Putin's daughters sanctioned by New Zealand". The New Zealand Herald. Archived from the original on 24 November 2022. Retrieved 24 November 2022.
38. ^ Harding, Luke (3 April 2016). "Revealed: the $2bn offshore trail that leads to Vladimir Putin". The Guardian. London.
39. ^ Reznik, Irina; Arkhipov, Ilya; Sazonov, Alexander (26 January 2018). "Putin Family Split Offers Peek at Secret Dealings of Russia Inc". Bloomberg. Retrieved 25 April 2018.
40. ^ "Investigation Links German Ex-Ballet Director Zelensky with Putin's Daughter". The Moscow Times. 19 May 2022. Archived from the original on 20 May 2022. Retrieved 20 May 2022.
41. ^ Oltermann, Philip (19 May 2022). Written at Berlin. "Putin's daughter flew to Munich 'more than 50 times' in two years, leaks reveal". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on 20 May 2022. Retrieved 20 May 2022.
42. ^ Davis, Raymond (20 April 2022). "Putin 'grounded' daughter 'amid fears she would not return to Russia'". I Know All News. Retrieved 3 September 2023.

## Further reading

[edit]

* Belton, Catherine (2020). Putin's People: How the KGB Took Back Russia and Then Took on the West. Farrar, Straus, Giroux. ISBN 978-0374238711.

## External links

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Katerina Tikhonova.

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