Amid health controversy, historian suggests Putin's longevity tied to mother's sturdy genetics
Vladimir Putin is currently 71 years old. Recent media reports suggest that the Russian president has experienced numerous health issues, including rumored Parkinson's disease and cancer. The veracity of these rumors remains unconfirmed.
11:54 AM EST, February 22, 2024
A Russian historian's take on Putin's mother
During a morning conversation on RMF FM, Russian historian Yuri Felshtinsky held a conversation with Robert Mazurek. During the discussion, Felshtinsky was asked about a potential resolution to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. He suggested that the war could cease in as few as two weeks on the condition that NATO provides its equipment, including missiles capable of hitting Moscow-based targets.
Felshtinsky expressed concern that if the war doesn't conclude immediately, it could continue indefinitely, noting Russia's readiness for perpetual war. In response, Mazurek reminded the audience that the Russian president isn't immortal, inviting the discussion to look beyond Putin's tenure.
"You know, there's this book that discusses Putin's purported life story. A theory persists - one I find credible - that Putin's biological mother lived in Georgia all these years and that Putin was actually born there. But that isn't the crux. She passed away only recently at the age of one hundred. Hence, I would not anticipate Putin's health deteriorating or his life ending prematurely," Felshtinsky shared.
Vera Putin, referenced by Felshtinsky, was born in 1926 in the Terechino village in the Perm Region. In September 1950, she gave birth to her son, Vladimir, often called Vova. She later relocated to Tashkent, where she met her future Georgian husband and lived with him in Metekhi, near Gori. Her husband struggled to accept her son. Vladimir was eventually sent to the home of Tbilisi and Vera's parents. Eventually, without Vera's consent, the boy was transferred to distant relatives in Leningrad.
Officially, the Russian president is recognized as the child of Vladimir Spiridonovich Putin and Maria Ivanovna Shelomova. Both of them passed away before Putin initiated his presidency in 2000. However, alternative sources posit that Vera's claims are credible - that she firmly believes her son went missing and is now fulfilling the role of the Russian president. She insists that Putin's biological father is mechanic Platon Privalov and that Putin's "official" parents adopted him from his grandparents. Vera passed away in May 2023 at almost 97 years old.
