Born into a less than noble situation, Vladimir Putin is the current President of Russia, having attained that rank on May 7, 2012. He succeeded Dmitry Medvedev and served several non-consecutive terms. He served as President during 2000 to 2008, then became Prime Minister from 1999 to 2000. He retook office in 20120.
In the Beginning
Everything has to start somewhere, and the story of Vladimir Putin is no different. Unlike many world leaders today, he did not come from wealth and he did in fact work hard to achieve his current position. He was born October 7, 1952 in the city of Leningrad. Born to an ordinary family, his mother served as a housewife, and his father fought in the second World War. Later on, he would take on a job as a security guard and then a foreman at the carriage works. Early in his life, Putin made the decision to practice martial arts, or Judo, in particular, though his mother certainly did not approve. Despite that, he continued and made great strides, eventually earning the approval of his entire family. The behavioral history of Putin in school was spotted, to say the least. He was very unfocused originally, but his teacher makes the recollection: “In the fifth grade, he still hadn’t found himself yet, but I could feel the potential, the energy and the character in him. I saw that he had a great deal of interest in language; he picked it up easily. He had a very good memory and an agile mind. I thought, something good will come of this boy, so I decided to give him more attention, to distract him from the boys on the streets.” – Vera Gurevich When Putin entered the sixth grade he did not seem interested in studying and placed more priority on playing sports than anything else. At some point however he made the decision that he wanted to accomplish something in life, which is why he began to get better grades and put his talent to better use. In addition to that, he would join the "Young Pioneers" organization, and almost immediately took over his chapter. He completed his education at Andropov University and went to East Germany where he would remain from 1985 until 1990. Through a mutual friend, Putin met Lyudmila Shkrebneva, a flight attendant on domestic airlines. The two became married on July 28, 1983 and would go on to have two daughters, Maria and Katerina, born 1985 and 1986 respectively.
Most Known For
While he is most known for his presidency, Putin is also known for causing controversy when he invaded the Ukraine during their revolution.
Where Are They Now
Putin still serves as president of Russia and is at the forefront of all things political. He is often considered to be one of the best leaders in the world, even if he is occasionally accused of being a dictator.
Career Accomplishments
After spending many years in school, Putin came to the conclusion that he wanted to work in intelligence. He made his way to the reception office of the KGB Directorate, inquiring as to how he could become an intelligence officer. He was told that he would either need to serve in the army or obtain a law degree. At that moment he made the decision to join the law department at Leningrade State University. Admitted to the law department in 1970, he passed with nearly flying colors and developed new goals. He began to see sports as a secondary priority, though he did continue to keep up with his athleticism. Putin graduated Leningrad State University and went on to work in the state security agencies. He was appointed to the Directorate secretariat, and then was sent to operations personnel retraining courses. After proving himself, he was sent for special training in Moscor for a year, and then worked with the First Main directorate in Leningrad. Putin eventually became the assistant to the rector of Leningrad State University, dealing with international regulations, and this would lead to his new political career in Moscow where he would move his entire family. Eventually, Putin would resign from the KGB and held many critical positions such as the Deputy Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office. Additionally, he served as Secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation. The world became more aware of Putin when he was given the appointment of Prime Minister in 1999, and in 2000, it was suggested that Vladimir become acting president. His true presidential election came on March 26, 2000, and he was elected to a second term on march 14, 2004. He was also appointed Prime Minister in 2008 via an executive order.
