Russian President Vladimir Putin‘s grandson was registered under his mother’s surname rather than his father’s, according to a report by the news outlet Agentsvo. The child, Adrian, is the son of Putin’s daughter Katerina Tikhonova and ballet dancer Igor Zelensky.Adrian was born on August 15, 2025, but his birth was registered only 11 months later, the report said. His surname was recorded as Tikhonov, the masculine form of his mother’s family name.The choice has drawn attention because his father shares the surname Zelensky with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, although the two men are not related. Putin has been leading Russia’s war against Ukraine since February 2022.The reason behind the delayed registration and the decision to use Tikhonov instead of Zelensky remains unclear. According to the report, delay could be linked to efforts by the president’s family to keep the birth private or complications arising from the parents having different surnames.
Who are Adrian’s parents, Katerina Tikhonova and Igor Zelensky?
Tikhonova, 40, is Putin’s daughter from his marriage to former wife Lyudmila Ocheretnaya. She is a former rock-and-roll dancer who has since become a technology executive involved in major Russian artificial intelligence projects.Her partner, Igor Zelensky, 57, is a ballet dancer and artistic director who previously led the Bavarian State Ballet in Germany. He has no family connection to Ukraine’s president.The couple also have an older daughter, Elsa, who is now eight. At birth, she was registered using the feminine form of her father’s surname, Zelenskaya. She is now believed to use Tikhonova, according to the report.Russian law requires births to be registered within the month following a child’s arrival. Adrian’s registration, which took place 11 months after his birth, therefore came considerably later than the usual deadline.
What is known about Putin’s other children and grandchildren?
Putin’s family details have largely remained outside public view. According to the report, all five of his children use names different from his surname.Tikhonova has an older sister, Maria Vorontsova, 41, who was also born during Putin’s marriage to Ocheretnaya. Vorontsova has two children, including a grandson who is half-Dutch.Putin is also reported to have two sons with his partner, Alina Kabaeva, 43. Ivan, 11, and Vladimir, eight, reportedly use the surname Spiridonov rather than Putin.The surname is believed to have been taken from Putin’s paternal grandfather, Spiridon Putin, who lived from 1879 to 1965. Spiridon worked as a personal chef to Soviet leader Vladimir Lenin and later prepared meals for Lenin’s widow, Nadezhda, and Soviet leader Joseph Stalin. He had also served Grigori Rasputin while working at the Hotel Astoria in St Petersburg.Putin is further reported to have a daughter, Luiza Rozova, 23, from his relationship with Svetlana Krivinogikh, 51. Krivinogikh, who previously worked as a cleaner, later became a wealthy businesswoman with interests in banking and the nightclub industry.Rozova has reportedly spent time living in Paris rather than Russia.