Borodino, Russia
President Vladimir Putin is descended from serfs who belonged to relatives of the first royal czars, a Moscow genealogist has found. At Putin’s request, genealogist Vladimir Melnikov traced the president’s family back as far as he could: 13 generations. The earliest ancestor he found was Yakim Nikitin, a peasant who lived on Romanov land in the early 1600s with his sons, Faddei, Frol, and Tit. Had Putin’s ancestors belonged to a lesser noble, there would have been few extant records.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Ukraine-Russia: is peace deal possible after Easter truce?Today's Big Question 'Decisive week' will tell if Putin's surprise move was cynical PR stunt or genuine step towards ending war
-
The bougie foods causing international shortagesIn the Spotlight Pistachios join avocados and matcha on list of social media-driven crazes that put strain on supply chains and environment
-
Strep infections are rising in the USUnder the radar The cases have more than doubled in 10 years
