A Russian journalist who described himself as a “personal enemy” of Vladimir Putin has reportedly been found dead after eating poisonous mushrooms. Grigory Nekhoroshev, 69, was the editor behind the 2008 newspaper report that first claimed Putin was romantically involved with Olympic gymnast Alina Kabaeva.
According to The Sun, citing Latvian outlet Delfi, Nekhoroshev was found dead at his home in Riga, Latvia, after reportedly eating mushrooms he had foraged from his garden. He had fled Russia after his newspaper, Moskovsky Korrespondent, was shut down following the publication of the Putin-Kabaeva story.
Putin denied the relationship at the time, and there is no evidence linking Nekhoroshev’s death to the Kremlin. Still, the case has reignited attention around Kabaeva, the former Olympic gymnast long rumored to be Putin’s partner.
But how much do we really know about Alina Kabaeva? Click on to find out.
Roots
Alina Maratovna Kabaeva was born on May 12, 1983, in Tashkent, Uzbek SSR (today’s Uzbekistan), then-Soviet Union. Kabaeva has had a very successful career as a rhythmic gymnast, a sport she embarked on at the age of three.
Gymnastics
Throughout her career, Kabaeva has won 25 European Championship medals and 14 World Championship medals. She was also a two-time absolute world champion and a five-time absolute European champion. In addition to previously mentioned successes, Alina Kabaeva went on to win two Olympic medals. The first one was bronze at 2000 Sydney.
Doping Scandal
In 2001, Kabaeva tested positive for furosemide (a diuretic) and was banned for a year. Kabaeva claimed the substance came from tainted pills she bought at a pharmacy.
Legacy
Alina Kabaeva’s contributions to rhythmic gymnastics are noteworthy. She even gave her own twist to some movements, including the way she performed a back split pivot, which became known as her signature move: “The Kabaeva.”
Political Career
Kabaeva represented the United Russia party as a Member of the Russian Parliament between 2007 and 2014. Her salary was 11 million rubles, about US$140,000.
Alleged Relationship with Vladimir Putin
In April 2008, the Russian newspaper Moskovsky Korrespondent reported that the President and Kabaeva were engaged. The Kremlin denied the story and the newspaper was shut down. However, it has been speculated that Kabaeva and Putin have maintained a relationship for many years, and indeed it has been reported that the two even have children together. This, however, has always been denied by both.
Was Putin married back then?
In 2013, Putin announced that he had separated from his wife of 30 years, Lyudmila Shkrebneva. One year later, the couple was legally divorced.
Journalist dies under suspicious circumstances
Russian journalist Grigory Nekhoroshev, who described himself as a “personal enemy” of Vladimir Putin, was found dead on June 19, 2026, reportedly after eating poisonous mushrooms he found in his garden. He was the editor behind the 2008 newspaper report that first claimed Putin was romantically involved with Kabaeva. He was living in Latvia at the time of his death, having fled Russia after his newspaper was shut down. There is no evidence linking Nekhoroshev’s death to the Kremlin, but Russia’s history of poisoning critics has raised suspicion.
Featured image: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ad/PutinKabaeva.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=index&utm_content=original
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