Putin ’s ex-wife Lyudmila has married a man 21 years her junior, according to reports in Moscow

Putin ’s ex-wife Lyudmila has married a man 21 years her junior, according to reports in Moscow. The 58-year-old former Russian first lady appears on official records to have changed her name as if she is now the spouse of a known friend, dashing businessman Arthur Ocheretny, 37

Since then she all but disappeared from view while the Russian president forbids any questions about his private life although he made clear in 2014 that he was happy in his love life

Ocheretny is reported as heading the Centre For Interpersonal Communications and Literature Education publishing house in Moscow. His previous job was at a company called Art Show Centre, which organised parties for United Russia - Putin’s political party - and energy giant Gazprom

Had she wed Ocheretny, this would be her married name. However, marriage records are not open to public scrutiny in Russia. Yet the pair have not been pictured together but they appear to be ’friends’ on social media

Putin is rumoured to be a partner of gymnast Kabayeva, now 32, while the president and his ex-wife have two daughters aged only a few years younger than Lyudmila’s suspected new husband

The former first lady ’has been supporting Centre for development of interpersonal communication (CRMK) which is headed by 37-year-old Artur Ocheretny. Little is known of Ocheretny but he has a son aged around ten years old. On social media he ’likes’ pro-Putin stories and last summer appeared to enjoy a holiday near Biarritz in France

In 2014, Putin told Russians he would not contemplate remarrying until Lyudmila was happily betrothed. ’First I have to see my ex-wife Lyudmila Alexandrovna married, and only then think about myself,’ he told a televised question and answer session when asked about how long Russia would have to wait for a new first lady

Putin was rumoured to have been a lover of Kabayev for six years before their divorce announcement but little proof exists that the speculation is true

In December 2014, Putin acknowledged during a press conference that his personal life was ’all right’. He stated: ’A friend of mine from Europe, a big chief, asked me: ’Listen do you have a love?’

’I wonder if he thought if I gone wild. So then he said ’Oh well thank God for that’ - and downed a shot of vodka

There was speculation his anonymous friend from Europe was Silvio Berlusconi but this was never confirmed

At the time, Putin stressed that he is ’kind relations’ with former wife Lyudmila. ’We regularly see each other. Needless to say about children, this goes without saying. Not that I see them as often as I would like to, but everything is all right,’ he said