Meet Elizaveta Krivonogikh, Putin’s secret ‘daughter’ living in Paris

Vladimir Putin’s rumoured secret daughter has broken her silence on the Russian leader for the first time with cryptic social media posts.

Elizaveta Krivonogikh, 22, who goes by Luiza Rozova on Instagram, shared a series of posts in which she referred to her “father” and spoke about a man who “destroyed” her life. She also expressed her feelings about Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine.

The posts came from a private Telegram channel called Art of Luiza and were reported by the German newspaper Bild. While she never mentioned Putin by name, the context strongly suggests she was referring to him.

So who is Putin’s ‘secret’ daughter, Elizaveta Krivonogikh? And what exactly did she say? Here’s a closer look.

‘The man who took millions lives & destroyed mine’

In one of the posts shared on her private Telegram channel, Elizaveta Krivonogikh, using the name Luiza, posted a selfie from inside a car with a striking caption.

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“It’s liberating to be able to show my face to the world again. It reminds me of who I was born to be and who destroyed my life. The man who took millions of lives and who destroyed mine,” she wrote.

As reported by Bild, she didn’t directly name her father, but the context strongly suggests that the Russian President is the subject of her message.

The 22-year-old previously had visible social media accounts in Russia, which showed her whizzing around the world in private jets, DJing in exclusive clubs and wearing designer gear.

But she had vanished from Instagram around the time Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Previously, she often avoided showing her face in posts, but in recent days, she’s been seen again, including in a branch of the Russian café chain Surf Coffee, according to Bild.

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Who is Elizaveta Krivonogikh?

Born on March 3, 2003, in St Petersburg, Elizaveta Krivonogikh is widely believed to be the secret daughter of Vladimir Putin and Svetlana Krivonogikh, a woman who once worked as a cleaner. The two are rumoured to have had an affair in the early 2000s.

Speculation around Elizaveta’s parentage only grew after her mother reportedly amassed substantial wealth following her birth. Svetlana became a shareholder in Bank Rossiya, and by 2020, her net worth was estimated to be around $100 million. This led many to believe that the fortune was linked to Putin, possibly as hush money.

The story first came to public attention through Russian investigative outlet Proekt in 2020, which reported that Svetlana received financial backing allegedly tied to Putin’s inner circle. She was later sanctioned by the UK in 2023 for her links to the Russian president.

Before stepping away from the spotlight, Elizaveta frequently shared glimpses of her glamorous lifestyle, posting photos from luxury vacations, private jets, and high-end fashion events. But following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, she deleted her Instagram account and withdrew from public view.

Now based in Paris, Elizaveta appears to be carving out a new life for herself. She graduated in June 2024 from the ICART School of Cultural and Art Management and currently works under the name Elizaveta Rudnova, possibly in reference to Oleg Rudnov, a late confidant of Putin.

She’s employed at two Paris-based galleries: L Galerie in Belleville and Espace Albatros in Montreuil. Both are known for curating anti-war and dissident art, making her presence there even more striking, given her rumoured family background.

Her work in the art world hasn’t been free of criticism. Russian artist Nastya Rodionova publicly cut ties with the galleries, stating that no one connected to the Kremlin, biologically or otherwise, should be given space in venues showcasing the voices of war victims.

Elizaveta, however, has responded to the backlash. In a rare comment, she asked, “Am I really responsible for the activities of my family, who can’t even hear me?”

However, some have come to her defence. Dmitry Dolinsky, director of L Association, told The Times, “She looks like Putin, but so do 100,000 other people. I haven’t seen a DNA test.” Others who’ve worked with her have described her as a “cultured person” and “excellent worker.”

With input from agencies