Two women believed to be the daughters of Russian President Vladimir Putin publicly appeared this week at an economic forum in St. Petersburg, a rare occurrence according to media reports. Putin keeps the details of his family life secret and has never publicly confirmed that the two women, Maria Vorontsova (39 years old) and Katerina Tikhonova (37 years old), are his daughters. However, several media reports have linked them to Putin. In 2022, the U.S. Treasury Department imposed sanctions on them, referring to them as "the daughters of President Putin."
They appeared as speakers on Thursday and Friday at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, an annual Russian summit where Putin is scheduled to deliver an important speech later on Friday. Tikhonova, who is a CEO in the technology sector working in fields related to the Russian military, spoke during a seminar about the role of the defense sector in supporting Russia's "sovereignty" in technology. She stated at the beginning of her speech, which was broadcast via video, that "state sovereignty is one of the main themes in recent years. It is the foundation of Russia's security."
Vorontsova, a researcher in biology who heads a state-supported genetics institute, spoke during a seminar on Friday about innovation in the field of biodiversity. Her name was included in the event's brochure, indicating her affiliation with the Russian Association for Support of Science.
In recent years, both women have taken on an increasing number of public roles, including speaking at various forums and events. However, their public appearances remain uncommon. They have previously attended the St. Petersburg Forum as guests, but independent Russian media mentioned that this was the first time they were listed as part of the official program for the event.
Putin has occasionally mentioned having "two daughters" over the 25 years he has been in power, but he has never revealed any details about them, confirmed their identities, or been photographed clearly with them. Putin's ex-wife Lyudmila gave birth to their two daughters, Maria and Katerina, in 1985 and 1986, respectively. At the beginning of the millennium, the Kremlin released a photo of Putin on vacation without showing the faces of his wife or daughters.
