In Evan Gershkovich’s book, a family acquaintance of the Putins called the president’s father a drinker

“Agency. News” recounted the memories that The Wall Street Journal American journalist Evan Gershkovich included in his book. According to these memories, a longtime acquaintance of the family studied with Putin at Leningrad School No. 193 on Baskov Lane, and his mother remembered a poor family living nearby.

According to the woman, Vladimir Spiridonovich Putin was “a heavy drinker”, while Maria Putin worked as a night watchman at a factory and as a cleaner. At parent meetings, she heard little and thin Vova being scolded for fights with other children.

A classmate of Putin, whom the publication also quotes, recalled that he often lost but never gave up. Putin himself said in January 2024 that he had never seen his father drunk and had never heard him use swear words.

“Agency. News” reminded readers that the book “From the First Person” and other biographies had already written about Maria Putin’s various jobs. In 2021, Putin himself said that she had been a nurse’s aide in a hospital and a night watchman, and it was previously reported about Vladimir Spiridonovich that he had fought in the war, suffered a serious injury, and after the war served in factory security, worked as a foreman, and was a member of the party committee.