Russian Commissioner for Children’s Rights Maria Lvova-Belova left the priest of the Russian Orthodox Church, Pavel Kogelman, over an ongoing affair with oligarch Konstantin Malofeyev.
According to the sources of Verstka, the affair between Lvova-Belova and Malofeev started at the end of last year. The two repeatedly booked plane tickets together, Religion in Ukraine reports.
The couple’s latest public appearance was when they participated in the procession in honor of Tsar Nicholas II in Yekaterinburg on July 16, where they were seen holding hands. This was the first time their relationship was obvious to eyewitnesses.
According to sources, the affair worsened Malofeyev’s relationship with Patriarch Kirill. The patriarch does not approve of Malofeyev’s political ambitions.
Lvova-Belova did not officially divorce her priest husband, with whom she has 10 children. Therefore, the most scandalous part of the affair is that a Russian official tasked with defending traditional family values officially admits adultery.
Konstantin Malofeev blocked the phone number of the Verstka correspondent after the latter posed questions about the divorce. Maria Lvova-Belova never returned the calls. Pavel Kogelman refused to answer the journalist’s question and referred him to the press service of the Russian Orthodox Church.
It should be recalled that last year, the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Maria Lvova-Belova, accusing her of the abductions of Ukrainian children for their forced Russification.
