I found this shocking news at The Daily Telegraph. Apparently, the Russian Premier, not the President, but Premier, Vladimir Putin has a mother who is 82 years old. What is shocking is her claim that she is Putin's mother, and what is more shocking is the consequences of her claim.
Vera Putina, 82, who is a Georgian, claims that Putin was her child born to Platon Privalov, a Russian mechanic who was married to another woman. Two years later, she married a Georgian soldier, Giorgi Osepahvili. Eight years later, under pressure from her husband, she gave Putin back to his Russian grandparents. Putin grew up with parents who had adopted him, she says.
She seems to have real evidence. Her name is Putina, for one thing. Records in Caspi, near her hometown, show that a Vladimir Putin, of Georgian parentage, was registered at a school in Metekhi between the years 1959-60. A teacher in Metekhi, Shura Gabinashvili, claims that she gave Russian language classes to a child Putin.
What is shocking is the James Bond twist to this tale. People claim all sorts of things, but they don't get death-threats, or actually get killed.
Both Putina and the teacher have been threatened with death for these claims.
Parentage is a sensitive subject, of course. And who goes to bed with whom is an emotional issue, with the exception of Britain, possibly. I remember there was quite a big controversy about the Ukrainian girl who slept with James Bond in "The Quantum of Solace" (The Communist Party at St.Petersburg, accused her of helping "a man who worked for decades under the orders of Thatcher and Reagan to destroy the USSR."). She had betrayed Russian honour. The Communist Party leader over there, Sergei Malinkovich, reportedly accused her, "This Ukranian girl sleeps with Bond and that means that Ukraine is sleeping with the West.""
If even bedding in films can raise emotions in Russia, need we wonder about the consequences when real-life claims are made that The Leader is of doubtful parentage?
So.
Two journalists who had tried to investigate Putin's parentage, have met with "accidents".
Artyom Borovik, a Russian journalist and media magnate, who supposedly had decided to publish the story about Putina, was killed when his private plane crashed.
Antonia Russo, an Italian journalist, had just then faxed footage of Putina to Italy, when he got shot dead at Tbilisi.
Hope this blog does not get hurt, not that Putin would notice- just in case anyone gets any ideas.
American movies are universal in the sense that James Bond gets to make love to girls of different colours and nationalities.
ReplyDeleteOne James Bond movie, shot in India, featured a well-known Indian as Bond's sidekick and the nation as a land of snake charmers. So it is possible to understand Ukraine's dilemma. How about an Ukrainian movie where an American FBI agent is shown with a handsome Ukrainian?
A recent Indian movie showed American politics as the villain that was defeated by intelligent Asian forces.
American movies are universal in the sense that James Bond gets to make love to girls of different colours and nationalities. One James Bond movie, shot in India, featured a well-known Indian as Bond's sidekick and the nation as a land of snake charmers. So it is possible to understand Ukraine's dilemma.
How about an Ukrainian movie where an American FBI agent is shown with a handsome Ukrainian? A recent Indian movie showed American politics as the villain that was defeated by intelligent Asian forces.
Of course, they are West-centric. Their base is home, but they market it everywhere so they try to bring in actors from all over the world.
ReplyDeleteIn India too it is happening, I read that the next film of Kamal haasan has mohan lal and another telugu actor. The heroine could be from mumbai. They want everyone to see.
But as you say this is a bit risky. In a kannada film in the background of Cauvery water issue, hero is kannada heroine is tamil.
In karnataka it was okay, but in tamil nadu we were livid.
woman, whether as lover of wife, is still seen as someone who is subjugated. The ukrainians did not think their heroine conquered the west.
It is a interesting thought, right?
(I might be wrong about the facts, but the general idea holds. Someone correct all this, please)
Nothing can be more embarrassing for the Russian premier than being claimed by a Georgian woman as his mother. Not at current times when Georgia is on the opposite end of Russia.
ReplyDeleteIf those who died were indeed after Putin's origins, then there surely is something that people want to bury under the carpet.
Yes, but can we bury anything? That lady says she is ready for a DNA test!
ReplyDeleteThe ukrainians did not think their heroine conquered the west.
ReplyDeletenow that's a good after-post idea.