A 53-year-old Russian woman sparked outrage in her home republic of Tatarstan by tying the knot with a 22-year-old man whom she had raised for the last eight years.

Aisylu Chizhevskaya-Mingalim, a well-known musician in Tatarstan and the niece of famous singer Renata Ibragimov, found herself at the center of a massive scandal after reportedly marrying her adopted son. Eight years ago, while teaching music in the orphanages of Kazan, Aisylu met Daniil, a 13-year-old boy who shared her passion for music, and after a few lessons, the two became a duet. The boy also participated in various reality talent shows, such as the “You’re Super!” project, and sang with popular Russian singer Filip Kirkorov. When he was 14, Daniil became the singer’s foster child, and they have lived together ever since. However, on October 20, the two shocked the world when they legally became married.

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“Our marriage is on a completely different level, a family united by creativity cannot be destroyed,” Aisylu Chizhevskaya-Mingalim told Russian journalists, adding that people don’t really understand the situation.

In truth, the union between the 53-year-old singer and her 22-year-old foster son sparked controversy in the Republic of Tatarstan, with some calling Chizhevskaya-Mingalim a “disgrace” to the country. Authorities were so outraged by the union that they took the singer’s five other foster children and placed them in orphanages around Kazan. She has since been making efforts to visit them and hopefully get them back.

Aisylu Chizhevskaya-Mingalim explained that there had long been rumors regarding her relationship with Daniil, so she decided to put them all to rest with this marriage. However, the 53-year-old woman said that their union is not really what it means. While their marriage is genuine, it is only spiritual in nature, not physical, as many assumed.

“When difficult times came, I was simply afraid for Daniel,” Aisylu Chizhevskaya-Mingalim said. “He was created for music, not for war, but at the same time, he is at the age when young men should take up arms. I began to think about how to protect him. I consulted with some acquaintances and they suggested this move to me – to marry him. In an informal conversation, of course. ”

“Daniil is already an adult, and together we have five adopted children and my biological son, six minor children,” the 53-year-old woman added.  “Thus, Daniil becomes a father of many children and remains at home.”

Asked if her marriage to Daniil was fake, the Russian woman said that the union was legit and that they were indeed a couple. However, their relationship is more spiritual, and not at all physical. Unfortunately, very few have come to realize this.