Yeltsin Heirs: Life Beyond Politics for Russia's First Family

Today, February 1, Russia«s first president Boris Yeltsin would have turned 95 years old. He was born in 1931 in the Ural village of Butka. The grandson of a dispossessed kulak peasant, sixty years later he became a participant in historic events—and the first leader of a new country on the ruins of the Soviet Union. Boris Nikolayevich passed away in 2007, but his wife, children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren are alive and well.

Boris Yeltsin was married once, to Naina Iosifovna (nee Girina), whom he met while studying at the Ural Polytechnic Institute (UPI), and lived with her until his last day. The couple had two daughters, six grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren. Here is how they live and what they do in 2026.

Naina Yeltsina

Naina Iosifovna lives in the Moscow region, in the famous Gorki settlement—in the very house where Maxim Gorky once lived. After her husband«s death, she worked to preserve the memory of the first president, for example by helping organize the museum named after him in the Yeltsin Center, writing memoirs, but from time to time she also spoke out on socio-political topics.

For instance, in 2023, when former Yekaterinburg mayor Yevgeny Roizman (recognized in Russia as a foreign agent) was tried on charges of discrediting the Armed Forces, Yeltsina wrote a character reference that the defense side provided to the court.

Over the years, she has devoted more and more time to communicating with family and home. Now, Naina Iosifovna almost never appears in public and speaks to the press only on the occasion of anniversaries.

Last year, the Yeltsin Center hosted a photo exhibition titled «My Grandmother is the First Lady,» dedicated to Naina Yeltsina. It was created by Maria Yumasheva, the first president«s granddaughter and a professional photographer. The guest of honor did not attend the opening—she visited the exhibition separately.

The president«s daughter Tatyana Borisovna and granddaughter Maria Yumasheva said that Naina Iosifovna never sought to win public attention, so now she does what she enjoys: calmly tends to her garden, practices Nordic walking, and sometimes cooks homemade treats for loved ones, passing on her rich culinary experience.

Elena Okulova

The Yeltsins« eldest daughter Elena married twice. Her first marriage to Sergey Fefelov was unsuccessful. The youthful romance between the daughter of a prominent regional leader and the son of a large transport organization director did not last. Sergey, the first graduate of a prestigious gymnasium, did not become a model husband: he drank and cheated on his wife. Even the birth of their daughter Yekaterina did not save the family. They separated, and Elena married pilot Valery Okulov.

Valery had a brilliant career—for 12 years he was the general director of Aeroflot, and for eight years he worked as deputy minister of transport. Elena did not pursue a professional path and devoted herself to raising children—Yekaterina, Maria, and Ivan. Now the couple lives in a mansion in one of the elite cottage settlements in the Moscow region.

Yekaterina Okulova

Elena«s eldest daughter took the surname of her mother»s second husband. Soon after school, she married her classmate Alexander Sorokin. They both enrolled at Moscow State University (MSU) but did not graduate. Alexander passed away in 2020.

On social media, on a page that presumably belongs to Yekaterina, there are posts criticizing Russia over the Special Military Operation (SVO). Where Yeltsin«s granddaughter lives is not known for certain. According to one source, she left the country; according to another—she uses family real estate, for example, an apartment in the famous Yeltsin House.

Maria Okulova

Maria graduated from the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO) and in 2003 married businessman Mikhail Zhilenkov. He was the director of the scandalous construction pyramid «Social Initiative,» due to which in the 2000s thousands of people lost money invested in housing construction. Zhilenkov headed the company after his predecessors were found guilty of fraud. His task was to complete projects started by «Social Initiative.» Far from all deceived shareholders received housing; at best, they got their previously invested money back.

Later, Zhilenkov worked at the company «RostInvest,» which was often mentioned in connection with hostile takeovers of various enterprises. What Maria does and where her husband is now is unknown. The couple has two children: Mikhail and Fyodor.

Tatyana Yumasheva

The younger daughter of Boris Yeltsin was and remains one of the most prominent figures in the presidential family. She has a son, Boris, from her first marriage to her MSU classmate Vilen Khayrullin. They were together for three years but parted on bad terms. Boris Yeltsin Jr. does not bear his father«s surname, and as Khayrullin himself told »Moskovsky Komsomolets,« he was forbidden to communicate with his firstborn.

In 1987, Tatyana married Alexey Dyachenko. Their child was son Gleb, who was born with Down syndrome but grew up to be a musician and athlete thanks to proper care and upbringing.

In 1996, Tatyana worked on Boris Yeltsin«s election campaign, was a member of his campaign staff, and actively influenced the country»s political life. For example, former Deputy Prime Minister Boris Nemtsov recalled how Tatyana spent four hours persuading him to take up that position.

At that time, Tatyana met Valentin Yumashev, who was Yeltsin«s advisor. They began a relationship. In 2001, the ex-president»s daughter separated from Dyachenko, and in 2002 she married Yumashev. Soon they had a daughter, Maria.

Valentin and Tatyana Yumashev are among the trustees of the Yeltsin Center, and Valentin Yumashev is a board member. They actively participate in the organization«s life, helping to preserve the memory of the first president. It is known that Tatyana has Austrian citizenship and property abroad. Her husband is on the board of directors of MTS and owns offices in Moscow City.

Boris Yeltsin Jr.

The first president«s grandson once had a reputation as an enfant terrible. He studied at an English school but became famous not for academic success, but for parties and gossip about his romances with models. The press eagerly picked up these stories.

However, Boris has long been Boris. It is known that he opened a private kindergarten, worked as a producer and investor. Now the grandson of Russia«s first president lives abroad, and his social media has not been updated since 2022.

Gleb Dyachenko

Gleb was born with Down syndrome, but his parents ensured he developed: they hired tutors for him in music, swimming, foreign languages, and mathematics. He engaged in sports and became a silver medalist at the Special Olympics, and when he finished with sports, he became a swimming coach and works with Paralympic athletes.

The appearance of a special child in the presidential family later led to reforms in the country«s school education system and the widespread adoption of inclusion practices—integrating people with disabilities into active public life. So wrote the authors of a piece on Gleb in the journal »Down Syndrome. 21st Century.«

In 2024, media reported that Gleb is dating Anastasia Petrova, who also has health considerations.

Maria Yumasheva

Maria«s childhood passed like that of a nobleman»s daughter in imperial Russia of the early 19th century. From infancy, she was taught to speak three languages at once—Russian, English, and French; she drew, practiced tennis, ballet, horseback riding, and gymnastics.

Masha studied in Austria and England. In the late 2010s, news of her romance with footballer Fyodor Smolov resounded across the country, but no wedding occurred—the couple broke up in 2022.

Now, Maria has been dating Gleb, the son of 1990s oligarch Boris Berezovsky, for several years. Maria is engaged in photography; her exhibition about Naina Yeltsina, «My Grandmother is the First Lady,» tours museums in Russia.

On the 90th anniversary of the first president«s birth, we told the story of the apartment in an elite building where he lived in Sverdlovsk. See archive photographs of Boris Yeltsin, as well as rare photos of his wife Naina.

Also read five touching stories from Naina Yeltsina«s book »Personal Life«: her memories of the 1991 coup, meeting Jacques Chirac, and much more.