Putin's 'girlfriend' Alina Kabayeva quits as MP to head pro-Kremlin media group

[pampango]

Alina Kabayeva (centre) has been appointed to chair the board of directors of a powerful pro-Kremlin media group.

Alina Kabayeva, a former Olympic gymnastics champion long rumoured to be Vladimir Putin's girlfriend, has been appointed to run a major pro-Kremlin media group.

Kabayeva spent more than six years as an MP, one of many high-achievers in the sports and entertainment fields to represent Putin's United Russia party, before announcing on Monday she was stepping down from parliament to take up control of the media holding.

The National Media Group owns 25% of Channel One, Russia's main state-controlled television channel, and also owns stakes in other channels and newspapers, including a majority share of the influential Izvestia daily. The group is controlled by Yuri Kovalchuk, a longstanding friend of Putin who was sanctioned by the US earlier this year due to his closeness to the Russian president.


Kabayeva with the Olympic torch during the opening ceremony of the Sochi Winter Games

A spokeswoman for the group confirmed Kabayeva's appointment but did not give details about when she would start, or what qualifications she had for the role. She previously hosted a television chat show but is not thought to have any experience in media management.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/sep/16/putin-girlfriend-alina-kabayeva-media-group