Moscow: The Russian Prime Minister's Office
on Monday denied rumours of Vladimir Putin's divorce with his wife
Ludmila by posting a video of the couple taking part in the
national census, which started last week.
The couple has been rarely seen together since Putin
moved from the Kremlin to the Russian White House (PMO) in May
2008, fanning rumours about the strongman divorcing his wife.
The video showed Putin, 58 and his wife Ludmila, 52 in
beige casual dresses sitting on a sofa of the same colour and
responding to questions of the census takers.
This morning the state-run Rossiya 24 channel showed Mrs
Putin heartily laughing at some remark made by her husband
during the census interview.
Last time the couple was seen together was at a theatre
show last year, Ekho Moskvy radio reported.
"The fact that the couple very rarely appears in public
is due to extremely hectic working schedule of Vladimir
Putin," PMO spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
Earlier, the Moscow Patriarchate had also denied rumours
that Ludmila Putin had left the secular life and joined an
Orthodox convent.
Rumours of the Russian Premier's divorce appeared for the
first time after a news report about his alleged love affair
with a young gymnast Alina Kabayeva appeared in "Moskovsky
Correspondent" weekly, which later apologised and was shut
down due to financial problems.
PTI
First Published: Monday, October 18, 2010, 17:49