#13
BBC Monitoring
Book on Putins' family life goes on sale in Russia
Source: NTV, Moscow, in Russian 0700 gmt 25 Dec 01
[Presenter Denis Soldatikov] The [Russian edition of the] book "Piquant Friendship" [German: Heikle Freundschaften] goes on sale in Moscow today. It contains some details of private life of Russian president's family presented by a German friend of Lyudmila Putin.
In general, this is a story of acquaintance with three Russian women. The book would hardly be written and, moreover, published in Russia if the wife of the future Russian president was not one of the friends of Irene Pietsch.
Several Russian newspapers and magazines refused to publish excerpts from the book apparently for the same reason. They did not offer clear explanation but noted that in any civilized country politicians would be glad to have such a PR promotion.
The author of the book, Irene Pietsch, the wife of a German banker, was on friendly terms with Lyudmila Putin for three years. At that time Vladimir Putin was a deputy mayor of St Petersburg.
The book reflects her impressions of the president's family. For example, Irene says that Putin did not allow his wife to use a credit card abroad for economical reasons. Sometimes he made rather sharp comments about his wife. Once Putin said that a monument should be erected to him for the years he spent with Lyudmila.
Friendship between Pietsch and Putin was cut short in 1998.
[Pietsch, speaking to camera in German with Russian translation superimposed] These are vicissitudes of fate. In 1998 Putin became a security service chief. Lyudmila phoned me before his appointment had been officially announced in the press and said that it had happened. It has happened - this is exactly what she said. She was not happy at all. She also said that we had to stop our friendly contacts. They have not been resumed yet.
[Broadcast at 0708 gmt; video shows German and Russian editions of the book and photographs of the Putins]
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