Vladimir Putin is famous as the current President of Russia and a former intelligence officer. He is the second-longest serving European president after Alexander Lukashenko. Previously he was Director of the Federal Security Service, Secretary of the Security Council and Prime Minister of Russia. During his military service, he also served in the belligerent Second Chechen War, the Syrian Civil War, the Russo-Georgian War, and the Russo-Ukrainian War. He is currently in the spotlight for his orders in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war over NATO talks.
Early life
Putin was born on October 7, 1952 in Saint Petersburg, Russia. His parents’ names are Vladimir Spiridonovich Putin and Maria Ivanovna Shelomova. His mother was a devout Christian and attended the Russian Orthodox Church while his father was an atheist. He has siblings Albert Putin and Viktor Putin who are no longer alive. Albert died in infancy, while Viktor died of diphtheria during the Nazi siege of Leningrad in World War II.
Putin began his schooling at School No. 193 on Baskov Lane, near his home. He studied German at Saint Petersburg High School 281 and learned sambo and judo at the age of 12. In 1970 he studied law at Leningrad State University. He also attended the Academy of Foreign Intelligence and Saint Petersburg Mining University.
Vladimir Putin’s career
During his studies, he met Anatoly Sobchak, an assistant professor who taught business law and later became a co-author of the Russian constitution and the corruption regimes prosecuted in France. He was an influence on Putin’s career in Moscow. After training at the KGB, he was transferred to the first chief directorate and worked for 16 years.
In May 1990 he was appointed adviser on international affairs to Leningrad Mayor Anatoly Sobchak. The next year he became head of the Mayor’s Office’s Committee on External Relations. From 1994 to 1996 he held many political and government posts in Saint Petersburg and became the chairman of the political party “Our Motherland – Russia”.
Political Career
From 1996 to 2004 he served his political career and led many election campaigns. In 1999 he became Acting President of the Russian Federation. In June 2000, Yeltsin’s resignation meant that the presidential elections were held within three months and he won the first round on March 26, 2000 with 53% of the vote.
His inauguration as president took place on May 7, 2000, and later in August he was criticized for mishandling the Kursk submarine disaster. He was elected President for a second term from 2004 to 2008 with 71% of the vote. Because of the Beslan School Hostage incident, he focused more on the safety net. On September 12, 2007, he dissolved the government at the request of Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov.
Prime Minister
On May 8, 2008 he was appointed Prime Minister of Russia and maintained his political dominance. Between 2005 and 2012 he organized a number of paramilitary groups loyal to him and the United Russia party. From 2012 to 2018, Medvedev recommended Putin as a presidential candidate. On March 4, 2012, he won the 2012 Russian presidential election with 63.6% of the vote.
In 2012-2013 he supported tougher anti-LGBT laws and took part in a televised All-Russia Popular Front rally. As president, he faced conflicts with Ukraine, intervened in the Syrian civil war and in the 2016 US elections. In 2018, he won more than 76% of the vote in the 2018 presidential election. He also took part in the opening of the movement along the Crimean Bridge highway section.
In 2020, he was confirmed by the State Duma to post and appoint the prime minister, marking the first time ever that a prime minister was confirmed unopposed. During the Covid pandemic, he prompted the Russian army to send military medics, special disinfection vehicles and other medical equipment to Italy, which was hardest hit by the pandemic. In June 2021, he was fully vaccinated against the disease with the Sputnik V vaccine.
Russia-Ukraine Crisis
In September, the Russia-Ukraine crisis unfolded, with the Kremlin warning that NATO was crossing red lines in expanding military infrastructure in Ukraine. The extension would be capable of deploying long-range missiles and hitting Russian cities or missile defence systems.
He turned to the US for a legal guarantee that NATO will not expand or install a weapon system that will threaten Russian territory. But the US and NATO rejected his demands. In 2022 there were rumors of a Russia-Ukraine war. On February 23, 2022, they invaded Ukraine and reported attacks in the capital, Kiev.
Biography of Vladimir Putin | |
|---|---|
| Real name | Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin |
| date of birth | October 7, 1952 |
| Age (as of 2022) | 69 years |
| place of birth | Leningrad, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union, (Saint Petersburg) Russia |
| nationality | Russian |
| job | Current President of Russia and former intelligence officer |
| religion | Christianity |
| sun sign | scale |
Physical Statistics | |
| height | in feet inches – 5′ 6” – in centimeters – 168 cm |
| Weight | in kilograms – 71kg – in pounds – 152 pounds |
| shoe size | (US) |
| Hair color | salt pepper |
| eye color | blue |
| body type | Slim |
Family | |
| father | Vladimir Spiridonovich Putin |
| mother | Maria Ivanovna Putina |
| sister | – |
| Brothers | Two (Viktor & Albert Putin) |
Qualification/Education | |
| school | Saint Petersburg Gymnasium |
| University | Leningrad State University |
Relationship status | |
| marital status | Divorced |
| affair | Yes |
| Who is Vladimir Putin’s girlfriend? | Alina Kabaeva |
| Who is his ex-wife? | Lyudmila Aleksandrovna Ocheretnaya |
| children | Two (Maria Vorontsova & Katerina Tikhonova) |
Personal life
On July 28 he married Lyudmila Shkrebneva. They have two daughters named Mariya Putina and Yekaterina Putin and live together in East Germany. In April 2008, Moskovsky correspondent reported that he divorced Lyudmila and was engaged to Alina Kabaeva. Alina was an Olympic gold medalist, former rhythmic gymnast and Russian politician. The rumors were ended and the newspaper company was also shut down shortly thereafter. He continued to perform in a public place with Lyudmila.
On June 6, 2013 he announced the divorce from Lyudmila, and on April 1, 2014 it was finalized. In 2015, Alina gave birth to a daughter, and he is said to be the father. Alina gave birth to twin sons in 2019. In a November 2020 Proekt Media investigation, he has another daughter named Elizaveta with Svetlana Krivonogikh, who was born in March 2003.
Vladimir Putin Net worth
Vladimir Putin has earned a lot primarily through his political career. His salary has been estimated at around $187,000 per year. He earns from political campaigns, offshore trading and various interviews. According to sources, his net worth was estimated at around $70 billion. Garry Kasparov, a former world chess champion, mentioned that he probably had enough money more than anyone in human history.
Facts About Vladimir Putin
- His cousin Igor Putin was a director at Moscow Bank and was accused of many money laundering scandals.
- He was awarded an eighth dan black belt in 2012, becoming the first Russian to achieve that status.
- Putin received five dogs named Konni, Buffy, Yume, Verni, and Pasha as gifts from various national leaders.
- He supports FC Zenit Saint Petersburg football team and is also interested in ice hockey and bandy.
- In 1975 he joined the KGB and trained at the 401st KGB School.
- During his political career, he may have worked as a private taxi driver to earn extra money.
- When Anna Politkovskaya, a journalist exposing corruption in the Russian army, was shot dead, Putin was accused of failing to protect the country’s media.
- On June 14, 2018, he opened the 21st FIFA World Cup, which was held in Russia for the first time.
- On March 24, 2020, he visited a Covid hospital and spoke to patients and doctors in the Moscow communarka.
- In 2001 he was honored at Athens University, Baku Slavic University and Yerevan State University.