In today's #vatniksoup, I'll introduce a Russian scientist, businesswoman and former acrobatic dancer, Katerina Tikhonova née Putina. She's best-known for being the daughter of Vladimir Putin, and for making hefty profits after investing in AI and drone technologies.
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Katerina was born in Dresden, East Germany, but some years later, after the collapse of the Communist East German government, they moved to Leningrad (soon to be St. Petersburg). Putin then started working for former professor & soon to be mayor of Leningrad,Anatoly Sobchak.
2/14
Later, during Russia's violent gang wars, Katerina and her sister were sent to Germany to safety, and were safeguarded by Putin's old friend, Matthias Warnig.
Perhaps due to the babysitting, Warnig was later given a big role in the Nord Stream pipeline project.
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Allegedly large part of Tikhonova's wealth came from his first husband, oligarch Kirill Shamalov. Their combined assets were worth around 2 billion USD in 2013. According to Bloomberg, the couple separated around 2015.
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In the midst of the 2022 Russian mobilization and the Great Exodus, Katerina's dad called those who leave Russia and turn to the West "scum and traitors to their homeland," continuing that "their mentality is there, not here, with our people".
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This hasn't stopped Katerina from traveling around Europe, though. Between 2015 and 2020, she traveled to Munich (and other places, including Sweden) more than 50 times with an entourage of allegedly armed bodyguard - unnoticed by German authorities.
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On most of her trips, she was meeting her boyfriend Igor Zelensky – one of Russia's most successful ballet dancers and former director of the Bavarian State Ballet. He has had a big role in promoting Russia's war in Ukraine, and he even appeared alongside Putin in Crimea.
7/14
Tikhonova's hobbies include acrobatic rock'n'roll. In the video below, she's dancing in a dance competition in Krakow, a month after the annexation of Crimea.
Moscow even built a 20 million USD rock'n'roll dance school, probably to honor her legacy and "achievements".
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It appears that Putin has been grooming Katerina into success - for example, she's the director of Innopraktika, a $1.7 billion development project to create a science center at Moscow State University. She got her PhD in 2019, but it's not clear if she wrote the...
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... dissertation by herself or if it was completed by someone else, like his father's. In Jul 2022, Tikhonova was awarded with a job as a co-chairman in a powerful business lobby that's trying to beat the impact of international sanctions over the war in Ukraine.
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In Nov 2023, opposition channel Vjorstka and The Moscow Times reported that Innopraktika, led by Tikhonova, had bought 10% share of Russian drone manufacturer Geoskan. Geoskan produces drones for Russia's genocidal war against Ukraine & they are a lucrative business.
11/14
At the early stages of the full-scale invasion, Russia was heavily dependent on Iranian Shahed suicide drones, but Putin's daughter investing into national companies is a clear sign that they have managed to ramp up their own production of drones.
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Starting in Nov 2023, Katerina started leading Russia's efforts to expand their influence in Africa.
Due to her involvement in Russian defense industry and her family ties to Putin, Tikhonova has been sanctioned by the US, Japan, New Zealand, the UK and the EU.
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As is tradition, Tikhonova has become extremely wealthy with his father's help and through Russian kleptocracy. As usual, she's also been keen on spending time in the "decadent West", like so many other wealthy Russians who apparently got bored of the glorious Russkiy Mir.
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In today’s Vatnik Soup, I’ll introduce Russian propagandist Sergei Tsaulin. He’s best-known for spreading pro-Kremlin narratives in Estonia, fleeing to Russia after breaking several laws in Estonia, and almost getting blown up by a bomb in St. Petersburg.
1/17
For years, Tsaulin was known for organizing marches and events glorifying the Soviet Union. Under the excuse of “remembering history,” these events were nothing more than Kremlin propaganda, wrapped in a red flag with a hammer and sickle.
2/17
One of his most infamous events was the “Immortal Regiment” march, held every 9th of May, where people carried portraits of Soviet soldiers. These marches are used by Russia to push the idea that the Baltics owe their existence to the Soviets.
In today’s Vatnik Soup, I’ll introduce a podcaster and conspiracy theorist, Joe Rogan (@joerogan). He’s best-known for launching the biggest podcast in the world, promoting various conspiracy theories, his support for Donald Trump and his anti-Ukraine rhetoric.
1/22
Joe Rogan started as a stand-up comedian in the 1980s, found fame on NewsRadio, and became a household name with Fear Factor. But his biggest impact came in 2009 when he launched The Joe Rogan Experience (JRE), one of the first major podcasts.
2/22
JRE started as casual but deep conversations, often covering countercultural topics like psychedelics, MMA & hunting. Joe’s podcasting style is largely non-confrontational, often allowing his guests to share their views without significant pushback or critical questioning.
In today’s Vatnik Soup, I’ll introduce KOOS party leader and Estonian crypto businessman Oleg Ivanov. He’s best known for running shady businesses, spreading Russian false narratives in Estonia, and participating in the pro-Kremlin political party KOOS.
1/18
As a talented youngster, Oleg learned Estonian almost flawlessly, was a promising karate athlete, and landed a job at a law firm at just 20. He caught the eye of Estonian fuel entrepreneur Endel Siff, who quickly took him under his wing.
2/18
Oleg’s father, Vladimir Ivanov, was a longtime politician from the Russian-funded United People’s Party of Estonia. His career at the town hall ended abruptly when he was caught drunk at work. After that, he went into business with his son, Oleg.
In today’s Vatnik Soup, I’ll talk about the takeover of social media by illiberal, populist influencers. For the last ten years, social media has been dominated by these voices and it is one of the main reasons for the political rise of people like Trump and Orban.
1/25
“Illiberal populists” like Trump reject democratic norms while claiming to speak for “the people.” They centralize power, attack institutions, and push nationalism over rights. Elections exist, but checks & balances erode. This is democracy in name, autocracy in action.
2/25
The media landscape has changed drastically over the past two decades. The Internet and social media have changed how we interact online & how we consume media,but it has also become our main source of news. In many ways,social media companies have control over information.
In today’s Vatnik Soup, I’ll introduce Lithuanian far-right politician and Seimas member Remigijus Žemaitaitis. He’s best known for his extremist political views and for falling for a scam that convinced him he was flying to New York to meet Elon Musk.
1/17
Like many vatniks before him, Remigijus worked as a lawyer before entering the world of politics. Once just another politician, he gradually embraced far-right nationalism and populism, following a trend seen across Europe over the past 15 years.
2/17
Instead of real policies, he tapped into fear, resentment, and anger, turning 4chan talking points into a populist political strategy. His speeches became more extreme, targeting minorities, Western institutions, and Lithuania’s support for Ukraine.