Gorbachev's self-styled "daughter" schools Monaco's Prince Albert II
Mikhail Gorbachev only has one daughter, Irina.
The epoch of Lieutenant Schmidt's children seemed to have ended long ago. Who would have thought it possible for charlatans to successfully pass themselves as the offspring of the wealthy and influential in the 21st Century? According to Western press, a young woman pretending to be Mikhail Gorbachev's daughter has been traveling around Europe collecting money for Green Cross International (GCI), a non-governmental environmental organization set up by the former president in 1993.
Kathryn Kechagia Aikterini, 24, wouldn't have had much luck pulling off the stunt in Russia, where Gorbachev's one and only daughter Irina's face is well-known to the general public. But the courageous woman has been introducing herself as Ms. Gorbachev in various European states, hoping to increase her personal wealth in the true tradition of Ostap Bender. Aikterini reportedly says she represents GCI and was entrusted with establishing regional branches in Europe. Opening the branches, of course, requires financial donations.
The peak of Aikterini's success was a personal invitation to meet Monaco's Prince Albert II at his palace. The prince reportedly spoke with the woman personally. But there's a reason why Monaco has earned the reputation for being suspicious in Europe. Soon enough the government learned Aikterini was a fake and the prince refused the title of GCI honorary chairman. The woman was later deported and barred from entering the republic in the future.
Suprisingly, Aikterini doesn't speak Russian and is actually from Greece. She is mentally healthy, although earlier this year she was admitted into a psychiatric ward during a bout of depression.
Читать русскую версию: Афера, которую обсуждает Европа: Лжедочь Горбачева при дворе князя Монако