Vladimir Putin
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Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin ? (Russian: Влади́мир Влади́мирович Пу́тин, Vladímir Vladímirovich Pútin) is a Russian politician. He has been the President of Russia since January 2000. He was born in Leningrad in 1952. Before becoming President of Russia, Mr. Putin was the Prime Minister of Russia. He had worked for the KGB, and was a lawyer. He is a member of the Russian Orthodox Church. Mr. Putin is married and has two children.
Putin is a lawyer. He graduated from the International Department of the Law Faculty of the Leningrad State University in 1975. He then was recruited into the KGB. In First Person, Putin described to journalists his early duties in the KGB, which included suppressing dissident activities in Leningrad.
From 1985 to 1990 the KGB stationed Putin in Dresden, East Germany. Putin thinks of this as a minor position. Following the collapse of the East German regime, Putin was recalled to the Soviet Union and returned to Leningrad, where in June 1990 he assumed a position with the International Affairs section of Leningrad State University, reporting to the Vice-Rector. In June 1991, he was appointed head of the International Committee of the St. Petersburg Mayor's office, with responsibility for promoting international relations and foreign investments.
Putin formally gave up his position in the state security services on August 20, 1991, during the KGB-supported abortive putsch against Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev. In 1994 he became First Deputy Chairman of the city of Saint Petersburg, a position he retained until he was called to Moscow, in August 1996, to serve in a variety of senior positions in Yeltsin's second Administration. He was head of the FSB (the successor agency to the KGB) from July 1998 to August 1999, and also served as Secretary of the Security Council from March to August 1999.
Mr. Putin pledged his support for United Russia party but is not a member of any party at all.
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