Russian President Vladimir Putin is alleged to have had a long-term relationship with a 17-year-old beauty pageant contestant, according to investigative journalists. The claims, published by Proekt media, suggest that Alisa Kharcheva was smuggled into Putin's residence when his long-term partner, Olympic gymnast Alina Kabaeva, was away.
The relationship reportedly began after Putin received a calendar created by the youth movement Nashi to mark his 60th birthday. Kharcheva, who posed as Miss April in the calendar, allegedly caught Putin's attention. The calendar included contact details for the models, and Kharcheva reportedly received a phone call within a month, inviting her to meet Putin at his suburban residence.
The visits were timed to coincide with Kabaeva's absences, according to the report. Kharcheva is said to have visited Putin once a fortnight. While her role as a lover was hidden, she appeared on television discussing the calendar and was fast-tracked into the finals of the Miss Russia contest, broadcast on state-owned NTV.
Nashi bosses reportedly hoped to use Kharcheva's access to Putin to gain influence, likening her to Madame de Pompadour, the influential mistress of King Louis XV of France. However, the report claims that no initiatives from Kharcheva were implemented. Putin publicly ended his 30-year marriage to Lyudmila Putin in 2013.
