Putin's 'secret' daughter, 33, breaks cover: Russian president's eldest child who lives in a lavish Moscow penthouse is now a top executive at company trying to cure cancer in $63 million dollar project
- Putin's eldest daughter Maria Vorontsova made a rare appearance on Russian TV
- She is the co-owner of a giant healthcare firm involved in cancer treatment
- This marks one of only a handful of TV appearances the 33-year-old has made
- For year's Putin's children were off-limits to the Russian media
Putin's eldest daughter has made a rare TV appearance to announce her first business venture.
Maria Vorotsova, 33, is notoriously secret, with her father keen to keep her out of the media spotlight.
But she is understood to live in a lavish Moscow penthouse overlooking the US Embassy and this week announced she is the co-owner of a giant healthcare firm known as 'Nomeko' which is involved in the largest private investment project in Russian healthcare.
In focus is research into modern methods of tackling cancer.
The president's daughter is understood to have appeared in a news package on state-owned Russian television channel 'Russia 1' earlier in July to discuss her first steps in the business world.
The project is supported by the country's officials and is estimated to cost around 40 billion rubles ($63 million).
Maria Vorontsova reportedly appeared in a package on state-owned Russian television channel 'Russia 1' earlier in July to discuss her first steps in business
Maria (pictured in Moscow in 2011) studied medicine at Moscow University, culminating in the award of a PhD - completing her post-graduate research into dwarfism
Vorontsova has been kept out of the spotlight her whole life, although is understood to have started making a handful of TV appearance in recent years.
In June 2018, 'Russia 1' broadcast a segment in which Maria Vorontsova, described as a children's endocrinologist and research assistant, was interviewed.
Little is known of Vorontsova. She is understood to be the Vice-President of the Russian Society of Young Endocrinologists.
It is stated on the company's website that she can speak English, German, French and Dutch.
The Russian President has made it his mission to keep his children out of the public eye, and Vladimir Putin's 'secret' eldest daughter rarely makes public appearances.
The Russian President has made it his mission to keep his children out of the public eye, and Vladimir Putin's 'secret' eldest daughter rarely makes public appearances (Pictured: Vorontsova dressed as a '19th century European burgheress' at a costume party in Holland in 2008)
She graduated from the Faculty of Fundamental Medicine of the Moscow State University in 2011, with a degree in medicine.
She completed an internship at the Institute of Pediatric Endocrinology of the FSBI 'Endocrinological Research Center' of the Ministry of Health in 2014.
She went on to attend graduate school and obtained a PhD after completing her post-graduate research into pituitary nanizm or dwarfism.
It is understood she is the wife of Dutch businessman Jorrit Faassen, 39. There is speculation the couple share a child.
She lives in Moscow in a heavily-guarded elite Soviet-era block on Novinsky Boulevard that was once the home of Stalin's henchmen shot during the dictator's purges.
She is believed to be married to Dutch businessman Jorrit Faassen (right), 39
The couple are also believed to own property in Holland.
For years Putin's two children have remained off limits for the Russian media.
His daughters' faces were never shown apart from in historic images from their childhood.
Putin has said previously of his daughters: 'They are taking the first steps in their careers, but are making good progress. They are not involved in business or politics.
'They have never been "star" children, they have never got pleasure from the spotlight being directed on them. They just live their own lives.
'They live in Russia...They have never been educated anywhere except Russia.
'I am proud of them, they continue to study and are working. My daughters speak three European languages fluently.'
In 2015 it was revealed that Maria's sister is known as Ekaterina Tikhonova - now 32- and was put in charge of a £1.1billion expansion of Moscow State University, the country's most famous higher education institution.
She was also shown to be a keen Acrobatic Rock 'n' Roll dancer.
Footage has emerged of her enthusiastically high-kicking on the dance floor with male partner Ivan Klimov.
Who are Vladimir Putin's daughters?
Russian President Vladimir Putin is understood to have at least two daughters. Rumours of a possible third daughter have been swirling around for years, but have never been publicly substantiated.
Mystery has long-surrounded his two daughters with the Kremlin having attempted to keep them out of the public eye.
Putin divorced their mother, Lyudmila Putina, in 2013.
Maria Vorotsova, 33, is widely understood to be Putin's eldest daughter.
Vorotsova studied medicine at Moscow University, culminating in the award of a PhD - completing her post-graduate research into dwarfism.
Maria Vorotsova, 33, is widely understood to be Putin's eldest daughter
It is understood she is the wife of Dutch businessman Jorrit Faassen, 39. There is speculation the couple share a child.
She lives in Moscow in a heavily-guarded elite Soviet-era block on Novinsky Boulevard that was once the home of Stalin's henchmen shot during the dictator's purges.
Katerina Tikhonova, 32, is believed to be Putin's youngest daughter.
She was named as the strongman's child in 2015 by a senior Russian businessman and then in November 2018 by a dance colleague - but both later changed their stories.
While her identity has been widely assumed, it has never been confirmed by Tikhonova herself, her representatives or the Kremlin, which says it does not comment on the private lives of Putin's close relatives.
Keen dancer: It has been claimed that Tikhonova - whose identity, like her sister's, has always been shrouded in secrecy - is the vice president of the world confederation of Acrobatic Rock 'n' Roll
Tikhonova runs publicly-funded projects at Moscow State University and serves as the WRRC's vice president for expansion and marketing.
She wed Russian tycoon Kirill Shamalov in a sumptuous ceremony at Igora ski resort near St Petersburg and rode in a traditional sleigh pulled by three white horses.
However, reports in Russia suggest the couple have since split, with Shamalov linked to a Moscow socialite.
Tikhonova may be best known for her dancing, but there have been claims in Moscow that Putin is gradually grooming her as his eventual successor in 2024.
Putin has said previously of his daughters from his marriage to ex-wife Lyudmila: 'They are taking the first steps in their careers, but are making good progress. They are not involved in business or politics.
'They have never been "star" children, they have never got pleasure from the spotlight being directed on them. They just live their own lives.
'They live in Russia ... They have never been educated anywhere except Russia.
'I am proud of them, they continue to study and are working. My daughters speak three European languages fluently.'
