Russia’s current President is Vladimir Putin. He is currently serving his fourth term as President. He is seen as an autocrat who has little regard for human rights and has been accused of assassinating his critics and opponents. He has also served as Prime Minister and was a foreign intelligence officer before to entering politics. He was born into a middle-class household and had a boyhood ambition of becoming an intelligence officer. He accomplished his dream and joined the Russian spy agency, the ‘KGB.’ As an undercover agent, he was stationed in several locations. He worked for the agency for the most of his life. He eventually became active in the country’s political issues and resigned from the ‘KGB.’ He then worked tirelessly for the welfare of the country and its people, earning him widespread acclaim. Finally, when Russia’s then-President Boris Yeltsin chose to stand down, he saw Putin as the best candidate for the job and appointed him as the country’s president. A few months later, elections were held, and he was once again the victor. His re-election to the office of President of Russia for a second term was based on his smart handling of issues with commendable efficiency. Dmitry Medvedev ran for President, and Putin became Prime Minister, because he was ineligible to run for President for the third time due to the Russian constitution. When Medvedev’s term ended in 2012, Putin was elected President for the third time. He was re-elected to his fourth term as President in 2018.
Childhood and Adolescence
Vladimir Putin was born on October 7, 1952, in Saint Petersberg, Soviet Union, to Vladimir Spiridonovich Putin and Maria Ivanovna Putina.
He attended the ‘Primary School No. 193’ on Baskov Lane from 1960 until 1968. He then enrolled in ‘High School No. 281’ and developed an interest in sports such as sambo (a type of martial arts) and judo.
He enrolled in the Law Department of ‘Leningrad State University’ in 1970 and joined the ‘Communist Party of the Soviet Union’ as a student. Anatoly Sobchak, a Russian politician, was also present at the time.
He completed his thesis, ‘The Most Favored Nation Trading in International Law,’ and graduated from the university in 1975.
Career of Vladimir Putin
He joined the government-run spy agency ‘KGB’ shortly after graduating from law school (Komitet Gosudarstvennoy Bezopasnosti). He received his training in Moscow’s ‘KGB School No. 1’ in the early 1980s.
He worked for the Directorate Secretariat of the ‘KGB’ organization before moving on to the Counterintelligence Division. The ‘KGB’ sent him to the ‘Andropov Red Banner Institute’ for more training in preparation for his trip to Germany.
He worked as an undercover operative in the East German city of Dresden from 1985 to 1990. Vladimir’s dedication gained him the rank of lieutenant colonel, and he rose through the ranks of the intelligence office to become the senior assistant to the department head.
In 1990, he returned to Leningrad and was named rector of the ‘Leningrad State University,’ where he was in charge of foreign relations.
In 1991, he chaired the ‘Committee for International Relations’ at St. Petersburg City Hall, and a few years later, he became the Deputy Chairman of the St. Petersburg City Government. He resigned from the ‘KGB’ shortly after joining the City Hall.
He and his family moved to Moscow in 1996, where he was hired as the Deputy Chief of the ‘Presidential Property Management Directorate.’ The following year, he was named Deputy Chief of Staff and Chief of the Main Control Directorate of the Presidential Executive Office.
In 1998, he was named First Deputy Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office, and the following year, he was named Director of the Federal Security Service. The following year, he was appointed Secretary of the Russian Federation’s Security Council.
In 1999, he was appointed Prime Minister of Russia by then-Russian President Boris Yeltsin. By the end of the year, the then-President had stepped down, and Putin had been nominated to take his place.
He was elected President of Russia in March 2000, and after being re-elected in 2004, he was re-elected for a second term. He was ineligible to run for president for the third time due to the Russian constitution. As a result, Dmitry Medvedev campaigned for President in 2008 and won the election. Putin was named Prime Minister of Russia by Medvedev.
The presidential term was extended from four to six years in 2011. Putin ran for president again in 2012, and this time he won with 64 percent of the vote.
He was re-elected President for the fourth time in 2018. He received 76 percent of the vote and will remain in office until 2024.
The Major Projects
The ‘2010 Russian Wildfire’ has massive ramifications. Crops were devastated, and hundreds died as a result of the pollution caused by the fire. The President took extra effort to assist people in overcoming this crisis, personally overseeing the repair of homes and providing compensation to sufferers.
After a controversial referendum in which Crimeans opted to join the Russian Federation, Putin sent Russian troops into Ukrainian territory in 2014 and invaded Crimea. As a result, a number of countries have imposed economic sanctions on Russia.
Vladimir Putin. Photo credit: Reuters
Putin authorized Russian military engagement in the Syrian Civil War in 2015, at the request of the Syrian government, to assist the Syrian government in its struggle against rebel and jihadist groups.
America has accused Putin of interfering in the 2016 presidential elections in the United States. He’s been accused of personally ordering a campaign to discredit Hillary Clinton and jeopardize her chances in the election. Putin, on the other hand, has denied any meddling in the US presidential election.
Achievements & Awards
In 1989, he was awarded the Bronze Medal for Faithful Service to the National People’s Army by the German Democratic Republic. The President of France, Jacques Chirac, awarded him the ‘Grand-Croix’ (Grand Cross) in 2006. He was named ‘Person of the Year’ by ‘Time’ magazine the following year.
In 2007, Saudi King Abdullah presented him with the ‘King Abdul Aziz Award.’ In the same year, the President of the UAE presented him with the ‘Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan’ award.
The ‘University of Belgrade’ gave him an honorary doctorate in 2011.
Personal History and Legacy
Vladimir married Lyudmila Shkrebneva on July 28, 1983, following a three-year engagement. Maria and Yekaterina, the couple’s two daughters, were born to them.
Many claimed link-ups have been made about this president, but all of them have been dismissed as rumors, and the pair has rejected all of the charges. However, the couple announced their divorce in 2013, and it was finalized a year later.
The ‘Vladimir Putin Avenue’ in Grozny, Chechnya’s capital, has been named after him. ‘Vladimir Putin Summit’ is a peak in the Tian Shan Mountains named after this figure.