The Kremlin’s manipulator: Sergey Lavrov’s scandals, secrets, and foreign ties
Video NV has compiled a selection of scandalous facts about one of the longest-serving figures in the Kremlin regime, 74-year-old Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. What is his father's real last name? How does Lavrov's mistress influence Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs? And is it true the official lives off the wealth of Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska?
Lavrov's emotionless face has been dubbed "the face of evil." Manipulative, cynically dishonest, and unscrupulous—Lavrov has led Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs for 20 years, clinging tightly to his position. He also plays the role of a devoted family man. But in reality, he has maintained a mistress for many years, carefully shielding her from public view.
Family secrets and identity questions
Kalantaryan or Kalantarov—these are likely the real surnames of Russia's top diplomat. Lavrov's father was a Georgian Armenian, and Lavrov himself has acknowledged his origins in Tbilisi. He spent his childhood on Ararat Street in the city's Armenian neighborhood. However, the future diplomat realized early on that building a successful career in the xenophobic Soviet Union would be challenging with his father's surname. To avoid obstacles, he reportedly adopted either his mother's surname or that of his stepfather—both of which sounded more "ethnically Russian."
A marriage of convenience?
Lavrov's personal life, much like that of Russia's main figurehead, Vladimir Putin, is treated as a state secret.
Little is publicly known about Lavrov's official wife, Maria Lavrova. She holds a degree in philology and trained as a teacher of Russian language and literature, although she never pursued her profession. The couple met as students, married, and later had a daughter, Ekaterina, born in New York during Lavrov's tenure as the first secretary of the Soviet Union's permanent mission to the UN in the early 1980s. The family returned to Moscow in 1988. Fifteen years later, Lavrov was appointed foreign minister, while Maria founded a "Diplomatic Wives' Club." In 2022, she was sanctioned by the United Kingdom following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. She has never commented publicly about the sanctions—or rumors of her husband’s second family. Some speculate her silence comes at the cost of a hefty financial settlement.
Lavrov's mistress and lavish lifestyle
Lavrov's alleged mistress, Svetlana Polyakova, has been linked to him for nearly two decades, according to journalists from Alexei Navalny's Anti-Corruption Foundation. In diplomatic circles, Polyakova is regarded as Lavrov’s de facto wife. She reportedly wields significant influence within the ministry, regularly attends official events, and even accompanies Lavrov to meetings with Putin.
Polyakova owns a 2,800-square-foot apartment in central Moscow, a country house outside the city, and an impressive collection of luxury cars. She also has a daughter, Polina, whose purchase of a London apartment valued at over £4 million (about $5 million) at the age of 21 has raised eyebrows. How she managed to afford such a property remains a mystery.
Meanwhile, Lavrov's biological daughter, Ekaterina Vinokurova, holds both American and Israeli citizenships. Her husband, a senior executive at major corporations, holds Russian and Israeli passports. This starkly contrasts with Lavrov’s anti-Western and antisemitic rhetoric, but it appears ordinary Russians remain unfazed. They continue to revere their "leader" and his associates, overlooking their hypocrisy.
Financed by an oligarch?
Who funds Lavrov's extravagant lifestyle? Investigative journalists believe Lavrov has close ties to billionaire Oleg Deripaska, allegedly lobbying for his interests. Lavrov reportedly assisted Deripaska in securing a U.S. visa and dismissed Western sanctions against Deripaska’s businesses as "Russophobia bordering on genocide." Given this relationship, it is plausible that Deripaska finances Lavrov’s opulent vacations—such as yacht rentals costing $500,000 a week—private jet trips, and luxury real estate in what Lavrov publicly derides as "decadent" Europe.
A tarnished reputation
When Lavrov assumed office in 2004, he enjoyed a relatively strong reputation both domestically and internationally, having spent 10 years representing Russia at the United Nations. While he has managed to retain his position, his reputation has been left in ruins.
In September 2024, Ukraine's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Sergiy Kyslytsya, hinted at Lavrov’s potential demise in a social media post: "For some Russian war criminals, dying in their beds in elite suburbs may seem like an easy way out. Even if they escape the courtroom, they’ll head straight to hell to burn there forever, skipping purgatory."
Awaiting judgment
Despite rumors of Lavrov's ill health or possible death, the civilized world—especially Ukraine—hopes for his longevity. Many anticipate seeing the Kremlin’s master of propaganda and misinformation face justice, seated in the defendant’s chair alongside his accomplices.
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