Science, music, sport, literature – and “the value of human life”. In a 42-minute video, Maria Vorontsova did not say a single word about the war in Ukraine and did not even mention her father, the autocrat leading Russia. Interview with Maria Vorontsova, the eldest daughter of Russian President Vladimir Putin, she caused a stir in Russia and beyond. Published on December 28, 2023 on the Promomed Russia YouTube channel – which at the time had just 145 subscribers – the 42-minute video went almost unnoticed at first. The country’s media and social networks only paid attention to him starting on January 11th.
The Medtech.moscow project is cited as a source, a center for innovative health technologies based in the Russian capital, dedicated to supporting researchers in their work. Doctor and scientist Vorontsova, 38, answered questions on the #ProNauku (“for science”) podcast which, according to the host, is aimed at young scientists and startups.
He spoke above all about science, medicine and his research in the field of genetics, in particular the study of the human genome. Referring to the treatment of patients in the country, he underlined that “for us the value of human life remains the highest value”. On the other hand, he did not dedicate a single word to the war that Russia is waging against Ukraine. Not even his father was mentioned.
At the time the video was released, the Medtech.moscow project itself had less than 3 thousand subscribers on the Vkontakte social network, less than 2 thousand on the Telegram platform (both Russian) and just 49 on YouTube. However, since it attracted media attention, the interview has been viewed hundreds of thousands of times.
Oblique connections with high-level affairs
The Kremlin keeps all details about Putin’s family members secret: he himself has never officially confirmed that the scientist is his firstborn. However, in all official documents released by the Russian media, she is referred to as Maria Vladimirovna Vorontsova, born in 1985. The president always emphasizes that he is proud of his two daughters and that they are not active in politics or economics.
But investigative journalists found that Vorontsova founded the company Nomeko in 2019 in Moscow, which implements billion-dollar healthcare projects. On the company website you are presented as a member of the presidency.
According to calculations by the team of imprisoned opponent Alexei Navalny, published on January 15, as a shareholder of Nomeko, Putin’s daughter pocketed 232 million rubles (R$ 13 million) in dividends in 2020. Furthermore, her monthly salary would amount to 700 thousand rubles (R $ 39 thousand).
Navalny’s investigators also found that Nomeko obtained all its capital from the Sogaz Medizina company. As Radio Liberty reported in 2021, influential Russian politicians and businessmen from Putin’s inner circle frequent the network’s clinics. In August 2022, the factories were purchased by senior executives of Nomeko.
The private life of Maria Vorontsova
After Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine began on February 24, 2022, the European Union, the United States, and the United Kingdom imposed sanctions on both Vorontsova and her sister, Katerina Tikhonova. Their bank accounts have been frozen and both are banned from traveling to the countries involved.
Maria Vorontsova lived and studied in Germany for several years. She then lived until 2015 in the Netherlands with her husband, the Dutch businessman Jorrit Faassen, before returning to Moscow.
In the interview of December 28th he spoke about some moments of his life. She said that since she was little she dreamed of becoming a doctor, that when she finished high school she thought about studying economics, but she ended up enrolling in medicine at Moscow State University.
He also discussed his interest in literature, with Alexander Pushkin, Fyodor Dostoievsky and Aldous Huxley among his favorite authors. Furthermore, he said that he liked music and sports.
“My interests are very broad, from creativity to sport. I am passionate about everything beautiful: painting, museums, theater and music. Music is an important element of my life, both classical and jazz. I try to dedicate myself to sports several hours per week, including seasonal sports such as surfing or skiing.”
Are murderous autocrats people too?
This is not Maria Vorontsova’s first media appearance: in previous interviews she has identified herself as an endocrinologist. But the current video has sparked strong reactions among Russian bloggers and social media.
Several X (formerly Twitter) users accused her of hypocrisy, for example. One of the first to participate in the interview was the journalist Andrei Sakharov: “she IS nervous, sometimes she speaks in clichés. Anyone who is an expert will be able to tell you how much the ring on her finger costs,” he posted on Telegram.
The German media also expressed outrage: “Putin’s daughter gives bizarre interview on the ‘value of human life,'” headlines the online article published on January 12 by Der Spiegel magazine.
“Disturbing statements given the crimes and number of victims of the war in Ukraine,” broadcaster NTV wrote on its website. German journalists classified as “cynicism” the fact that the daughter of the head of the Kremlin did not address the topic of “war”.
For media expert Jo Groebel, the fact of having given this important interview before the presidential elections in March could indicate a change in the communication strategy of Putin, who is preparing, at 71 years old, to become president of Russia for the first , fifth time.
The Russian leader has always done what many autocrats have done before him, Groebel says. Now he would have realized that a modern electoral campaign will be necessary, and remembering that he has a family and daughters makes a good impression. His message would be: “‘I’m here for all the people, I have something as ordinary as a little family.’ And after all her daughter is a doctor, she is a renowned scientist.”
Source: Terra
Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.
