The rumored daughter of President Vladimir Putin has quietly entered the French art scene, collaborating with galleries that feature anti-war artists, including some from Ukraine, as reported by exiled artist Nastya Rodionova on Thursday.
Yelizaveta Krivonogikh’s presence in Paris was first noted by the Ukrainian media outlet TSN. This outlet discovered that she resides in the French capital under a second passport, using the name Yelizaveta Olegovna Rudnova, despite her alleged father facing sanctions and international calls for war crimes related to the invasion of Ukraine.
The Paris-based organization L Association confirmed to Rodionova that someone named Yelizaveta Rudnova is part of its management team. The galleries associated with L Association, such as Albatros Studios and L Galerie, are known for exhibiting contemporary artists with political and anti-war themes.
Rodionova expressed, “I believe in the presumption of innocence, and children should not be blamed for their parents’ actions. However, in a time of war, a conflict involving someone from a family benefiting from the regime and the victims of that regime is troubling. Is it fair to question if Liza comprehends this at 22, or should we hold those around her accountable?”
Krivonogikh is said to have graduated in 2024 from ICART, a Parisian school of arts and cultural management. Comments on a LinkedIn post celebrating the ICART graduation exhibition in 2024 noted that “Putin’s daughter” was among the graduates and remarked on her striking resemblance to the Russian leader, according to Rodionova.
Though Rodionova mentioned that she had seen Krivonogikh in person, she did not interact with her. The names found on Krivonogikh’s second passport indicate a connection to the late Oleg Rudnov, a media executive from St. Petersburg who was a close associate of Putin until his death in 2015.
Investigative reports have revealed that properties linked to Krivonogikh’s mother, Svetlana Krivonogikh, were acquired under Rudnov’s name. Svetlana was previously a cleaner residing in a communal apartment in St. Petersburg before her alleged relationship with Putin.
Following the birth of her daughter in 2003, she gained stakes in several companies, including a share in Rossiya Bank, and invested in luxury real estate in Moscow and on Kamenny Island in St. Petersburg, according to the investigative outlet Proekt. She also became a co-owner of the Igora ski resort in Leningrad region and the Leningrad Center theater.
The Russian investigative publication IStories reported that Svetlana owns an opulent apartment in Monaco, conveniently located near the Monte Carlo Casino, with a view of the Mediterranean.
Proekt assessed her total assets at 7.7 billion rubles, equivalent to about $100 million at that time. In 2023, the UK added Svetlana Krivonogikh to its sanctions list, noting her role as a shareholder in Bank Rossiya and the National Media Group, which has been known to promote the Russian aggression in Ukraine.
In 2020, a spokesperson for the Kremlin denied any connection between Putin and Svetlana Krivonogikh, claiming he had never heard of her.
