Russia’s President Vladimir Putin and his wife Lyudmila have announced their “marriage is over”."It was our joint decision, our marriage is over," President Putin said in the interview to Russia24 state channel. The announcement was made at the Grand Kremlin Palace, where Vladimir and Lyudmila Putin attended the Esmeralda ballet. Asked to confirm if that was a divorce, Lyudmila Putina, who was standing by the President's side, told the media “Yes, you can say that, this is civilized divorce.”

"I do not like publicity, and the flights are complicated for me. We love our children, we are proud of them and see each other often," Lyudmila Putina.

Thursday’s ballet visit is the first joint appearance in more than a year. At the last Easter ceremony at Christ the Savior Cathedral, President Putin was accompanied by Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin.

However, Mrs. Putina said “they will always be friends”.

“I am grateful that he supports me," she said.

Vladimir and Lyudmila Putin have been married for 30 years, since 1983, three years after they first met.

Vladimir Putin and Lyudmila were introduced to each other by a mutual friend. Lyudmila worked as a flight attendant on domestic airlines and had come to St. Petersburg, where Vladimir was based, (back in Soviet times it was called Leningrad) for three days with a friend.

http://www.hovabuzz.com/news/248-russia-s-president-vladimir-putin-and-his-wife-have-announced-their-marriage-is-over