Woman who divorced husband to marry stepson now have two children together

A Russian woman now has two children with her former stepson, after she divorced his dad so they could be together.

Marina Balmasheva has known her current husband, 23-year-old Vladimir "Vova" Shavyrin, since he was only seven years old.

It wasn't until he was in university that the pair struck up a different kind of relationship, one that would cause the end of her marriage to Vova's father.

Marina and Alexey Shavyrin had been married, but they split up after Marina became pregnant with her stepson's baby.

Instagram/@marina_balmasheva

The couple welcomed their daughter, Olga, in 2021, and have since continued to show off their relationship online in loved-up snaps - including the occasional throwback.

In one post Marina, 37, shared a snap of her and Vova from before their relationship became sexual.

"Look what I found. I am 23. My husband is 8," she wrote, adding: "Then he left to live in the [Russian mountain range] Urals."

Despite being condemned, the odd relationship works for Marina and Vova as they welcomed their second child this year.

The mum welcomed the new arrival with a post on Instagram showing some details about the child's birth, alongside the caption: "Hello."

Marina announced the news of her second pregnancy last year, sharing a photo with Vova and Olga as they held up a positive pregnancy test.

Instagram/@marina_balmasheva

Another post, which featured a video of the ultrasound, saw Marina reveal that the date of the new baby's conception was the same day as her and Vova's wedding.

Marina's ex-husband Alexey, Vova's father, has previously accused Marina of having 'seduced' his son, saying he had 'not had a girlfriend before'.

Alexey added that he would have 'forgiven her cheating, if it wasn't [his] son'.

He claimed: "She was running to my son's bed from our bedroom when I was sleeping. After that she was coming back and lying in bed with me as if nothing had happened."

Meanwhile, Marina told her 600,000-plus followers that she both did and didn't regret that she 'destroyed the family'.

"I was ashamed that I killed the stability of 'mum and dad,'" she wrote. "Did I want to return to my ex? No. Do I feel anger and hatred towards him? Not any longer."

Marina and Alexey are said to have adopted five children together when they were married, but Marina has declined to say whether she has anything to do with the children now.