WHO IS VLADIMIR PUTIN?

Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin was born on October 7, 1952, in Leningrad, a city devastated by World War II and the 900-day Nazi siege.

His parents were working-class. His father was a factory worker and wounded Navy veteran. His mother also worked in a factory.

He grew up in a cramped communal apartment where several families shared a single kitchen and bathroom. Fights among neighborhood kids were common.

Putin later said he learned early that showing weakness could invite trouble.

As a boy, he became fascinated with power, discipline, and strength.

He trained intensely in martial arts, especially judo and sambo.

He credited judo with teaching him patience, control, and how to turn an opponent’s strength against them — a mindset that later shaped his political style.

As a teenager, he became determined to join the KGB, the Soviet Union’s intelligence agency.

He reportedly visited a KGB office and was told he needed higher education, preferably in law.

In 1970, he enrolled at Leningrad State University to study law.

One of his professors was Anatoly Sobchak, who would later become mayor of St. Petersburg and play a key role in Putin’s career.

While at university, Putin was recruited by the KGB.

After graduating in 1975, he formally joined the KGB.

He worked in counterintelligence before being posted to Dresden, East Germany, in 1985.

There, he gathered intelligence and coordinated with East German security services during the final years of the Cold War.

In 1989, as Communist control collapsed, crowds stormed secret police buildings.

Putin later described standing outside a KGB office, warning protesters he would use force if they entered — a bluff that reportedly worked.

He later called the collapse of the Soviet Union “the greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the 20th century.”

After returning to Leningrad in 1990, he left the KGB and entered politics.

He worked under Anatoly Sobchak, who had become mayor of the renamed St. Petersburg.

Putin rose quickly in city government, overseeing foreign investment and international partnerships.

Though corruption allegations surfaced during this period, no charges were successfully brought against him.

In 1996, after Sobchak lost reelection, Putin moved to Moscow.

He joined the administration of President Boris Yeltsin during a time of economic collapse and oligarch dominance.

In 1998, he became head of the Federal Security Service (FSB), successor to the KGB.

In 1999, he was appointed Prime Minister.

Following apartment bombings blamed on Chechen militants, Putin launched a second war in Chechnya.

His tough stance boosted his popularity.

On December 31, 1999, Yeltsin resigned and named Putin acting president.

In March 2000, Putin won the presidential election.

As president, he centralized power.

He reduced the influence of regional governors and brought major television networks under state control.

Oligarchs who challenged the Kremlin faced consequences.

The arrest of oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky in 2003 signaled that political loyalty was essential.

Russia’s economy grew in the 2000s, fueled by high oil and gas prices.

Living standards improved for many Russians.

Putin’s popularity soared.

Internationally, he initially sought cooperation with the West.

After 9/11, he offered support to the United States.

But tensions grew over NATO expansion and Western interventions abroad.

He increasingly positioned Russia as a counterweight to Western dominance.

In 2008, constitutional term limits led him to step aside.

Dmitry Medvedev became president, while Putin served as prime minister.

In 2012, Putin returned to the presidency, sparking protests over alleged election fraud.

Laws restricting protests, NGOs, and media tightened.

In 2014, Russia annexed Crimea following political upheaval in Ukraine.

Western nations condemned the move and imposed sanctions.

Conflict soon erupted in eastern Ukraine between Ukrainian forces and Russian-backed separatists.

In 2015, Russia intervened in Syria to support President Bashar al-Assad.

The intervention strengthened Assad’s position and reasserted Russia’s global military presence.

Putin promoted nationalism and conservative values at home.

He emphasized the Russian Orthodox Church and traditional identity.

In 2020, constitutional amendments reset presidential term limits, potentially allowing him to remain in power until 2036.

In February 2022, Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

The war became the largest conflict in Europe since World War II.

Western countries imposed sweeping sanctions on Russia.

Inside Russia, censorship intensified and criticism of the military became criminalized.

In June 2023, the Wagner Group launched a brief armed mutiny.

Two months later, its leader Yevgeny Prigozhin died in a plane crash under unclear circumstances.

Putin remains one of the most powerful and controversial figures in global politics.

Supporters see him as a leader who restored stability and national pride.

Critics view him as an authoritarian ruler who suppresses dissent and concentrates power.

From a communal apartment in post-war Leningrad to decades at the helm of Russia,

Putin’s journey reflects intelligence service discipline, political maneuvering, centralized control, and a lasting impact on global affairs.

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