Russian President Vladimir Putin and his wife, Lyudmila, said Thursday they are divorcing after nearly 30 years of marriage, making the announcement on state television after attending a ballet performance at the Kremlin.
“It was our joint decision,” Putin said.
Lyudmila Putin, a former Aeroflot flight attendant, was rarely seen in public during her husband’s long tenure at the top of Russian politics and implied that she didn’t like to travel with him on his frequent trips.
The Putins married on July 28, 1983, and have two daughters, Maria and Yekaterina. In the televised announcement, Putin appeared reserved and Lyudmila smiled tentatively.
