Vladimir Putin was born on October 7, 1952, in Leningrad, which is now known as Saint Petersburg, Russia. He was the youngest of three children born to Vladimir Spiridonovich Putin and Maria Ivanovna Putina (née Shelomova). His grandfather, Spiridon Putin, worked as a personal cook for Vladimir Lenin and Joseph Stalin. Unfortunately, Putin's birth was preceded by the deaths of his two brothers: Albert, who died in infancy in the 1930s, and Viktor, who died of diphtheria and starvation during the Siege of Leningrad in 1942.
Putin's mother was a factory worker, and his father served in the Soviet Navy as a conscript in the early 1930s, specifically in the submarine fleet. During the early stages of the Nazi German invasion of the Soviet Union, his father served in the destruction battalion of the NKVD (People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs). He was later transferred to the regular army and was severely wounded in 1942. Putin's maternal grandmother was killed by German occupiers in the Tver region in 1941, and his maternal uncles went missing on the Eastern Front during World War II.
In 1960, Putin started attending School No. 193 at Baskov Lane, located near his home. At the age of 12, he began practicing sambo and judo and showed an interest in reading the works of Karl Marx, Friedrich Engels, and Lenin. He also studied German as a second language at Saint Petersburg High School 281.
Putin pursued a law degree at Leningrad State University, which is now known as Saint Petersburg State University. He enrolled in 1970 and graduated in 1975, with his thesis focusing on "The Most Favored Nation Trading Principle in International Law." During his time at the university, he was required to join the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU), of which he remained a member until its dissolution in 1991.
It was during his university years that Putin met Anatoly Sobchak, an assistant professor specializing in business law. Sobchak would later become a co-author of the Russian constitution and involved in corruption schemes in France. Putin and Sobchak would have a significant impact on each other's careers, with Sobchak influencing Putin's path in Moscow.
In 1997, Putin obtained a Ph.D. in economics from the Saint Petersburg Mining University. His doctoral thesis focused on strategic planning in the mineral economy.
In 1975, Putin joined the KGB and underwent training at the 401st KGB School in Okhta, Leningrad. After completing his training, he worked in the counterintelligence division of the Second Chief Directorate. He was later transferred to the First Chief Directorate, where he monitored foreigners and consular officials in Leningrad. In 1984, Putin was sent to Moscow for further training at the Yuri Andropov Red Banner Institute.
There have been reports suggesting that Putin was sent by the KGB to New Zealand, although this has never been confirmed by Russian security services. It has been alleged that he worked undercover as a Bata shoe salesman in Wellington and Auckland. From 1985 to 1990, Putin served in Dresden, East Germany, using a cover identity as a translator. During his time in Dresden, he worked as a liaison officer between the KGB and the Stasi secret police. He was reportedly promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel and received a bronze medal from the East German communist regime for his service. However, some sources downplay his actual role, claiming that he mainly collected press clippings.
According to Putin's official biography, during the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, he saved the files of the Soviet Cultural Center and the KGB villa in Dresden from destruction. After the collapse of the East German government, Putin returned to Leningrad in early 1990 and worked for the International Affairs section of Leningrad State University. He also sought new KGB recruits and maintained his friendship with Anatoly Sobchak, his former professor and the future Mayor of Leningrad.
In May 1990, Putin was appointed as an advisor on international affairs to Mayor Anatoly Sobchak. He claims to have resigned from the KGB in 1991 following the coup against Mikhail Gorbachev. Putin became the head of the Committee for External Relations of the Mayor's Office in June 1991, where he was responsible for promoting international relations and foreign investments. However, he faced allegations of understating prices and permitting the export of metals in exchange for food aid that never arrived. Despite recommendations for his dismissal, Putin remained in his position until 1996. During this time, he also held various other political and governmental roles in Saint Petersburg.
In March 1994, Putin was appointed as the first deputy chairman of the Government of Saint Petersburg. He organized the local branch of the Our Home – Russia political party and managed its legislative election campaign in 1995. He held various positions within the party's Saint Petersburg branch until June 1997.
In June 1996, after Anatoly Sobchak lost his re-election bid as Mayor of Saint Petersburg, Putin resigned from his positions in the city administration. He then moved to Moscow and became the deputy chief of the Presidential Property Management Department. He was responsible for managing foreign property and transferring assets from the Soviet Union and the Communist Party to the Russian Federation. Putin held several positions within the Presidential Staff and the Presidential Property Management Department until May 1998, including deputy chief and chief of the Main Control Directorate.
In June 1997, Putin defended his dissertation in economics at the Saint Petersburg Mining Institute. However, it was later discovered that parts of his thesis were plagiarized. He was promoted to the highest civilian service rank of 1st class Active State Councillor of the Russian Federation in April 1997.
In July 1998, Putin was appointed as the director of the Federal Security Service (FSB), the successor to the KGB. He became involved in regional affairs and was appointed as the first deputy chief of the Presidential Staff for the regions in May 1998. He also led the commission for the delimitation of regional powers and headed the federal center attached to the president. Putin became the acting prime minister of the Russian Federation on August 9, 1999, following the resignation of Prime Minister Sergey Stepashin. He agreed to run for the presidency and was approved as the prime minister by the State Duma in August 1999.
Putin's emergence as a potential successor to President Boris Yeltsin was met with opposition from Yeltsin's opponents. However, his law-and-order image and strong stance during the Second Chechen War increased his popularity. Putin pledged his support to the Unity Party, which won a significant percentage of the popular vote in the December 1999 Duma elections.
On December 31, 1999, Yeltsin resigned, and Putin assumed the role of Acting President of the Russian Federation. He signed a decree guaranteeing immunity to Yeltsin and his family members from corruption charges. Putin won the presidential elections in March 2000 and was inaugurated as the President of Russia on May 7, 2000. He appointed Mikhail Kasyanov as the prime minister and faced criticism for his handling of the Kursk submarine disaster in August 2000.
Between 2000 and 2004, Putin focused on rebuilding the country's impoverished state, which involved a power struggle with Russian oligarchs. He reached a "grand bargain" with them, allowing them to maintain most of their powers in exchange for their support of his government.
In October 2002, the Moscow theater hostage crisis took place, resulting in the deaths of 130 hostages. Despite initial concerns about its impact on Putin's popularity, he enjoyed record approval ratings shortly after the crisis ended.
In 2003, a referendum was held in Chechnya, adopting a new constitution that declared it as part of Russia while granting the region autonomy. The Second Chechen War significantly weakened the Chechen rebel movement, although sporadic attacks continued in the northern Caucasus.
Putin was re-elected as president for a second term in March 2004, receiving 71% of the vote. The Beslan school hostage crisis occurred in September 2004, resulting in the deaths of over 330 people, including 186 children.
Before Putin's rise to power, Russia experienced a period of upheaval following the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Putin referred to the collapse of the Soviet Union as the "greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the Twentieth Century" and noted the negative impact it had on Russia.
During this time, Russia faced challenges such as the dismantling of the social safety net, declining life expectancy, and economic difficulties. In 2005, the National Priority Projects were launched to improve healthcare, education, housing, and agriculture in the country.
The prosecution of Mikhail Khodorkovsky, the president of Yukos oil and gas company, for fraud and tax evasion was seen as retaliation for his political activities. Yukos was bankrupted, and its assets were acquired by the state company Rosneft, signaling a shift toward state capitalism in Russia.
The assassination of journalist Anna Politkovskaya in 2006 drew international criticism, with accusations that Putin had not done enough to protect independent media in the country.
In 2007, Putin's behavior during a meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, where he brought his Labrador retriever despite knowing her fear of dogs, caused controversy.
At the Munich Security Conference in February 2007, Putin expressed concerns about the feeling of insecurity created by the dominant position of the United States in geopolitics and criticized NATO's expansion into Eastern Europe.
On 14 July 2007, Putin announced that Russia would suspend its obligations under the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe and ratification of the Adapted Conventional Armed Forces in Europe Treaty. This decision was due to Russia's dissatisfaction with NATO's actions in relation to Transnistria and Georgia. Russia remained engaged in dialogue with NATO, hoping to establish a new conventional arms control regime in Europe. Russia specified certain steps that NATO could take to end the suspension.
In 2007, the opposition group The Other Russia organized "Dissenters' Marches" led by Garry Kasparov and Eduard Limonov. These protests faced police interference and arrests of demonstrators attempting to break through police lines.
On 12 September 2007, Putin dissolved the government at the request of Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov, giving the President a "free hand" in preparation for the parliamentary election. Viktor Zubkov was appointed as the new prime minister.
In the December 2007 State Duma elections, United Russia, the party supporting Putin's policies, won 64.24% of the popular vote, indicating strong popular support for the Russian leadership.
As Putin was barred from a third consecutive term as President by the Constitution, Dmitry Medvedev was elected as his successor. On 8 May 2008, Putin became the Prime Minister of Russia, maintaining his political dominance.
During his second premiership, Putin regarded overcoming the consequences of the global economic crisis and stabilizing Russia's population size between 2008 and 2011 as his major achievements.
In September 2011, at the United Russia Congress, Medvedev proposed that Putin run for the presidency in 2012, an offer that Putin accepted. Given United Russia's dominance in Russian politics, it was widely expected that Putin would secure a third term. Medvedev was expected to run on the United Russia ticket in the parliamentary elections with the goal of becoming prime minister at the end of his presidential term.
Following the parliamentary elections in December 2011, large-scale protests erupted across Russia, with tens of thousands of people demonstrating against alleged electoral fraud. Protesters criticized Putin and the United Russia party, demanding the annulment of the election results. These protests raised concerns about the possibility of a "color revolution" taking place in society.
On 24 September 2011, at the United Russia party congress, Medvedev announced that he would recommend Putin as the party's presidential candidate for 2012. It was revealed that Putin and Medvedev had reached a prior agreement on this arrangement. This transition was referred to by the media as "Rokirovka" or "castling" in chess terms.
In the 2012 Russian presidential election held on 4 March, Putin won in the first round with 63.6% of the vote, despite widespread accusations of vote-rigging. Opposition groups accused Putin and United Russia of fraud. The elections faced criticism from both the Russian opposition and international observers for procedural irregularities.
During the presidential campaign, anti-Putin protests took place, including the notorious performance by the band Pussy Riot and subsequent trial. On 6 May, a large protest in Moscow resulted in clashes with the police, injuries, and arrests. A counter-protest of Putin supporters also occurred, with a significant gathering at the Luzhniki Stadium. There were reports that some attendees were coerced or misled into attending.
Putin's presidency was inaugurated on 7 May 2012, and he issued a series of presidential decrees, known as the "May Decrees," outlining goals for the Russian economy and various policy areas.
In 2012 and 2013, Putin and United Russia supported stricter legislation against the LGBT community, including the adoption of the Russian gay propaganda law in 2013. Putin defended the law, stating it aimed to ban the promotion of pedophilia and homosexuality, while denying any discrimination against homosexuals in Russia.
In June 2013, Putin became the head of the All-Russia People's Front, a movement aimed at connecting the Kremlin with the Russian people and potentially replacing the United Russia party in the future.
In February 2014, Russia made military incursions into Ukrainian territory, starting with the annexation of Crimea after a controversial referendum. This led to escalating tensions and the Russo-Ukrainian War in the Donbas region.
In October 2014, Putin addressed Russian security concerns at the Valdai International Discussion Club held in Sochi.
On November 2014, there were reports of intensified movement of troops and equipment from Russia into separatist-controlled parts of eastern Ukraine, with observations of unmarked military vehicles and convoys of heavy weapons. The OSCE repeatedly faced restrictions and denials of access to areas controlled by Russian-separatist forces.
In October 2015, it was reported that Russia had redeployed elite units from Ukraine to Syria to support President Bashar al-Assad. Putin later admitted the presence of Russian military intelligence officers in Ukraine.
Some analysts suggested that Putin's annexation of Crimea marked a shift in Russian foreign policy, aiming to recreate the Soviet Union and defend nations in Russia's sphere of influence from perceived encroachment by Western powers.
In September 2015, Putin authorized Russian military intervention in the Syrian civil war to support the Syrian government against rebel and jihadist groups. Russian forces carried out airstrikes, missile strikes, and deployed special forces in the conflict. Although Putin announced the withdrawal of the "main part" of Russian forces in 2016, Russian forces continued to support the Syrian government.
Regarding the 2016 US election, a US intelligence community assessment expressed high confidence that Putin personally ordered an influence campaign to denigrate Hillary Clinton and later favor Donald Trump. Putin and Trump both denied Russian interference, with Putin suggesting other possibilities for the source of interference. The CIA reportedly had a Russian source close to Putin who provided information on Putin's direct involvement in 2016. Similar attempts to interfere in the 2020 US presidential election were reported.
Putin won the 2018 Russian presidential election with over 76% of the vote and began his fourth term in May 2018. He invited Dmitry Medvedev to form a new government and participated in the opening of the Crimean bridge. In 2019, Putin's administration interfered with Russia's regional elections, leading to protests, arrests, and cases of police brutality
On 15 January 2020, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev and his entire government resigned following Putin's announcement of major constitutional amendments that could extend his political power. Medvedev was appointed deputy chairman of the Security Council, and Mikhail Mishustin, head of the Federal Tax Service, became the new prime minister.
Putin formed a Working Group to counteract the spread of coronavirus, with Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin as its head. Russia provided medical aid to Italy during the COVID-19 pandemic. Putin implemented measures to support small and medium-sized businesses, including tax deferrals, social security contribution cuts, and loan repayment deferments.
A constitutional referendum took place in July 2020, officially inserting amendments into the Russian Constitution that allowed Putin to run for two additional six-year terms. Protests were held in Khabarovsk Krai in support of the arrested regional governor Sergei Furgal, and they became increasingly anti-Putin.
In January 2022, Putin met with Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi to discuss a 20-year deal between the two nations. In July 2021, Putin published an essay denying the existence of Ukraine as an independent nation and advocating for the unity of Russians, Ukrainians, and Belarusians under the Russian world.
On 21 February 2022, Putin recognized the self-proclaimed separatist.
As early as 25 March, it was reported that Putin ordered a policy of "kidnapping" Ukrainian nationals who resisted the Russian takeover, carried out by FSB agents. Ukrainian President Zelenskyy expressed his belief that Putin expected a warm reception in Ukraine, but instead faced resistance.
On 21 September, Putin announced a partial mobilization following a Ukrainian counteroffensive and the announcement of annexation referendums in Russian-occupied Ukraine. On 30 September, Putin signed decrees annexing several Ukrainian oblasts into the Russian Federation, though these annexations are not recognized internationally.
In December 2022, Putin stated that the war against Ukraine could be a lengthy process, and hundreds of thousands of people have been killed in the conflict. In January 2023, Putin indicated that recognition of Russia's sovereignty over the annexed territories was a condition for peace talks with Ukraine.
In March 2023, President Xi Jinping of China visited Russia for an official meeting with Putin. In May 2023, South Africa granted diplomatic immunity to Putin to attend the BRICS Summit, despite the ICC arrest warrant against him.
On 17 March 2023, the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Putin, along with Maria Lvova-Belova, for their alleged involvement in the unlawful deportation and transfer of children from Ukraine to Russia during the invasion.
On 23 June 2023, the Wagner Group, a Russian paramilitary organization, rebelled against the Russian government. The leader of Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, accused the Ministry of Defense of attacking his forces and blamed Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu for the military's failures. Putin denounced Wagner's actions as treason and pledged to quell the rebellion. Following negotiations, Prigozhin agreed to stand down and began withdrawing his forces.
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