Vladimir Putin

President of Russia

Vladimir V. Putin was born in Leningrad (St. Petersburg since 1991) on October 7, 1952. His father, Vladimir S. Putin, was a war veteran and invalid. He defended Leningrad from the Germans during the Soviet Union's liberation war against Nazi Germany in 1941-1945, known in Russia as the Great Patriotic War. His mother, Maria I. Putina , was born in the Tver region, Russia. She survived the 900-day German siege of Leningrad during the war.

In 1975, Vladimir Putin graduated from the Leningrad State University (the faculty of law) to join the Soviet state security service upon. In 1985-1990, Putin was sent to work in East Germany (the former German Democratic Republic). He resigned from the state security service on August 20, 1991.

In 1990, Putin became assistant rector for international affairs at the Leningrad State University and was later promoted to the post of advisor to the Chairman of the Leningrad City Council.

On June 12, 1991, Putin was appointed head of the International Committee of the St. Petersburg Mayor's Office. His tasks in the new capacity were to attract foreign investments to the city economy, to establish and maintain cooperation with foreign partners and to oversee the creation and opening of joint ventures.

In 1994-1996, Putin combined his job as the International Committee head with his new post of first deputy chairman of the government of St. Petersburg. During the same period, he headed the city emergency committee and monitored the activities of the law enforcement agencies. He worked in close contact with the Legislative Assembly and the Public Relations Department of St .Petersburg.

In August 1996, Putin was transferred to Moscow to work under President Boris Yeltsin as deputy property manager. He was made the presidential deputy chief of staff in charge of the Main Control Department in March 1997.

In May 1998, Putin became presidential first deputy chief of staff in charge of Russian regions and territories.

In July 1998, he was appointed director of the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) and in March 1999 as secretary of the Russian Security Council while keeping his post of FSB director.

Putin has been Russia's prime minister since August 1999. He also became acting president on December 31, 1999, following the resignation of Russian President Boris Yeltsin.

Putin is a Candidate of Economic Sciences. He has good command of English and German.

Putin is fond of sports, especially wrestling. He has been going in for sambo and judo since the age of 11. He won the sambo championships of St.Petersburg many times and became Master of Sports first in sambo (1973) and later in judo (1975).

Vladimir Putin is married with two daughters – Masha and Katya.

Putin's wife Lyudmila is a graduate of the philological department of the Leningrad State University. She knows German, Spanish and French.