The heirs are already at the start: the ruling elite of Russia is aging and is therefore seriously considering who to hand over power to. Here are the important daughters and sons of Russia:
Even 15 years ago, there were many question marks when it came to filling top management positions with new personnel. Back then, Vladimir Putin had to choose among "bodyguards", "adjutants" and old friends from St. Petersburg. Now the task for the entire ruling elite is easier - the heirs have grown up. It is enough to follow the program of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) to see that the process is underway - and quite effectively.
A grandson, a son and a clever daughter
Kirienko, Vaino, Rotenberg, Kovalchuk, Fradkov, Shoigu: this is not the composition of the participants in a meeting with Vladimir Putin. And this is not Sergey, Anton or Yuri. At the forum in St. Petersburg we see sons, daughters and even a grandson. But we should not necessarily expect these young people to change anything in Russian politics.
Vladimir Kirienko, head of the Russian social network "VKontakte" (VK) and son of the first deputy head of Putin's administration, is unlikely to speak in St. Petersburg about the total state control over the social network and the role of VK in hundreds of cases. Vice President of the VC Stepan Kovalchuk, who, by coincidence, is the grandson of Mikhail Kovalchuk, president of the Kurchatov Institute and a friend of Putin, will certainly also remain silent on this issue.
It is also doubtful that Roman Rotenberg, first vice president of the Russian Ice Hockey Federation and son of another friend of Putin - Boris Rotenberg, will talk about his professional failure: he was fired as a coach of one of the hockey teams, but remains an extremely influential functionary in sports.
Ksenia Shoigu, the daughter of former Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, is acting as a universal lecturer: in St. Petersburg she will talk about sports, about tourism and even about cooperation with the United Arab Emirates. Although I would rather hear something about her father's situation, how she sees tourism in a country that is waging a war of conquest, and whether there are enough athletes left in the country after partial mobilization and regular conscript drives.
Russia's Important Daughters
It is also worth mentioning that Katerina Tikhonova, long revealed by independent Russian media as Vladimir Putin's youngest daughter, will also speak at the St. Petersburg forum. She and her sister Maria Vorontsova are included in the UK's sanctions lists precisely as Putin's daughters. This year's SPIEF will be Katerina's second, and this time she will speak about the conditions for the return of foreign business to Russia. Maria will not be participating in the forum.
Of course, it is extremely curious how quickly Vladimir Putin went from "those women" to the participation of these same women in one of the largest international events in Russia. It took him only five years. It is also curious that recently the daughters, who could not be spoken about in public, have begun to periodically appear on the news broadcasts of state channels. It is as if Putin has lifted the ban on publicity for his family (of course, not for everyone).
It is important to emphasize that Tikhonova appeared as if from nowhere. The propaganda does not mention any direct connections with Vladimir Putin, but only emphasizes Katerina's academic success. I would not be surprised if, in the typical presidential administration manner, the connections between Tikhonova, Vorontsova and Putin are reported as if by chance, somehow by the way. As we learned about the divorce of their parents.
The heirs - the new ruling elite
The issue of the transfer of power in Russia is becoming more and more relevant. And this is not only because of the advanced age of Putin and his entourage. There are too many external factors that can suddenly shake the positions of the ruling elite. Sons (and, less often, daughters) are already being introduced into the process of governing the state. Yes, this is not particularly effective (Nikolai Patrushev's son, Dmitry, was not much of a Minister of Agriculture), but in this case, efficiency is not important. Clan ties must be preserved, as well as vertical control. That is why heirs appear everywhere: in the government, in the presidential administration, in the banking sector, in the management of science. If some time ago the Russian journalist Andrei Soldatov saw the FSB as the new elite, now the security forces will have to give way to the heirs as the new ruling elite.
And Dmitry Medvedev's son? Ilya has chosen the path of his father, who, according to an investigation by Alexei Navalny's Anti-Corruption Fund, owns a winery in Tuscany. According to Insider, Medvedev's son has joined the board of directors of a winery in the Krasnodar Territory.