Vladimir Putin FAQs

Who is Vladimir Putin?

Answer: Vladimir Putin was born in 1952 in what is now Saint Petersburg. He was formerly married to Lyudmila Putina; they married on July 28, 1983, and have two daughters, Maria and Yekaterina.

What was Vladimir Putin's career before becoming Russia's president?

Answer: Vladimir Putin earned a law degree from Leningrad University and was later recruited into the Soviet security agency, the KGB. He was stationed in East Germany during the collapse of the Soviet Union. After the Soviet Union's collapse, he worked for the then-mayor of Saint Petersburg until 1996. Two years later, former Russian President Boris Yeltsin appointed him as director of the main successor organization to the KGB.

When did Vladimir Putin become the president of Russia?

Answer: In 1999, Vladimir Putin became prime minister and Yeltsin’s intended successor, despite having little political experience. Initially unknown and unpopular, he won the 2000 popular vote after apartment bombings were attributed to Chechen terrorists, among other issues. Putin resonated with the Russian people by declaring the Second Chechen War.

The Russian economy and standard of living improved in the early 2000s, increasing public support for Putin. After re-election in 2004, he began speaking out against the United States as a threat to Russia. Dmitry Medvedev took over in 2008 and was considered a marionette until Putin’s return to the presidency in 2012, during which he effectively cracked down on protests, the press, and U.S.-associated organizations.

In 2014, Russia seized Crimea from Ukraine in response to the Maidan Revolution in Kyiv.

Putin has served for 21 non-consecutive years as Russia’s president.

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