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Vladimir Putin -

Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, born on October 7, 1952 in Leningrad (now Saint Petersburg), was born in the former Soviet Union.

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Early life -

Putin began attending school in Leningrad in September 1960, as pictured in the first row, third from right.

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Martial arts and literature -

At 12 years old, he engaged in judo training and devoted his spare time to reading materials by Marx, Engels, and Lenin.

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Shy -

According to reports, Putin was described as reserved and shy as a teenager. He's pictured uncharacteristically dancing with his classmates during a school party in Leningrad in 1971.

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Judo expert -

Putin's introverted nature didn't hinder his excellence in judo, a martial art he has devoted his entire life to.

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Studying law -

Putin studied law at Leningrad State University. He was taught by Anatoly Sobchak, who became his mentor. He graduated in 1975. While there, Putin was required to join the Communist Party and remained a member until it ceased to exist (it was outlawed in 1991).

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KGB career -

In 1975, Putin joined the KGB, the main security agency for the Soviet Union. He worked out of Leningrad. Pictured is the office block that used to house the KGB and where Putin made his career as an officer. Today it's known as Bolshoy Dom ("Big House") and houses the headquarters of the local domestic branches of the Federal Security Service of Russia.

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Marriage -

Vladimir Putin's career in the KGB is shrouded in mystery. In July 1985, he tied the knot with Lyudmila Shkrebneva, with whom he had two daughters, Myria (pictured here as a baby) and Yekaterina. The couple divorced in 2014.

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Family visit -

Photographs featuring Putin alongside his parents, Maria and Vladimir, in 1985, are seldom made available for public viewing.

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Working undercover -

Between 1985 and 1990, Putin, a mid-level KGB officer, worked in Dresden, East Germany (as shown in the picture), using a cover identity as a translator. The activities he undertook during his time in Dresden remain largely unknown.

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Leningrad State University -

Putin resigned from active KGB service after the collapse of the Communist East German government. In 1990 he became assistant rector for international affairs at Leningrad State University.

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Back at university -

During his time at university, Putin actively searched for potential KGB candidates, closely observed students, and rekindled his friendship with Anatoly Sobchak, his former mentor who would later become the mayor of Leningrad.

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Political journey -

In 1990, Putin was appointed as an advisor on international affairs to Leningrad mayor Sobchak, a promotion regarded as his first foray into politics.

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Gorbachev and Yeltsin -

After the failed Soviet coup in 1991, Vladimir Putin formally left his position at the KGB. Feeling disenchanted with the political landscape during the disintegration of the Soviet Union, Putin temporarily re-entered civilian life and there is speculation, as reported in a 2021 article by the UK's Guardian newspaper, that he may have even considered working as a taxi driver. Meanwhile, Boris Yeltsin assumed the role of the inaugural president of the newly formed Russian Federation.

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Municipal governance -

In 1994, Putin assumed the role of first deputy chairman of the government of Saint Petersburg and later became its leader by 1997. He also chaired the committee for external relations.

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Boris Yeltsin and Vladimir Putin -

Putin's political trajectory was given a boost in 1997 when Boris Yeltsin assigned him the position of deputy chief of the Presidential Staff, which he held until May 1998. In the same year, Yeltsin appointed Putin as the Director of the Federal Security Service (FSB), the main intelligence and security agency in Russia and the successor to the KGB.

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Elected Prime Minister -

On August 9, 1999, Vladimir Putin was appointed acting Prime Minister of the Russian Federation. Yeltsin also confirmed that he regarded Putin as his successor. By the end of the day, the new prime minister announced his intention to run for president.

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Putin's presidency -

Boris Yeltsin's sudden departure on December 31, 1999 led to a change in the presidency. On March 26, 2000, Putin emerged victorious in his initial presidential election.

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Chechnya -

During his initial presidency, Putin faced a challenging conflict in Chechnya, leading to strife within the Russian Federation. While visiting London, his first international trip after winning the election, Putin justified his country's participation in the war, in accordance with the guidelines of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

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Second presidential term -

On March 14, 2004, Putin was elected to the presidency for a second term. The Russian economy was buoyant and there was a noticeable increase in overall living standards. Later that year in September, Islamist fighters seized a school in Beslan, southern Russia. A total of 334 hostages were killed, over half of them children.

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"Geopolitical catastrophe" -

In 2005, Reuters echoed President Putin's statement that the downfall of the Soviet Union was the "most significant geopolitical catastrophe" of the 20th century.

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Second premiership -

The Russian Constitution barred Putin from a third consecutive term as president. In 2008, First Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, a Putin ally, was elected his successor. But in a power-switching operation, Putin was appointed prime minister.

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Georgia -

In August 2008, Russia engaged in a brief conflict with Georgia and emerged victorious. As a result, Georgia lost control over two separatist regions, namely the Republic of South Ossetia and the Republic of Abkhazia.

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Three-times president -

In 2012, Putin came back to power as president for a third time, breaking the norm by extending presidential terms to six years instead of four. Opposition groups claimed electoral fraud, resulting in widespread protests against Putin in Moscow and other locations.

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Crimea annexed -

In February 2014, Russia initiated the annexation of Crimea, as a response to Ukrainian protestors removing their Russia-friendly president, Viktor Yanukovych. Putin was photographed attending a military parade on May 9, 2014 in Sevastopol, Russia.

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Donetsk and Luhansk -

In April, tension increased as a separatist movement emerged in eastern Ukraine, specifically in Donetsk and Luhansk. An image shows a pro-Russian activist watching over a barrier outside the local government building in Donetsk.

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Innocent victims -

On July 17, 2014, midway through a flight from Amsterdam to Malaysia, a passenger plane was shot down over the war-torn Ukraine-Russia border. All 295 passengers and crew died.

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Landslide victory -

In March 2018, Putin was reelected with over 76% of the vote, ensuring his fourth term as president until 2024. Shown in the photo is Putin at a rally and concert held at Manezhnaya Square in Moscow, marking the fourth anniversary of Russia's takeover of Crimea.

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Prelude to invasion -

In this Kremlin Press Office handout image, President Vladimir Putin is seen on February 22, 2022 addressing the Russian people and declaring that "Ukraine was an inalienable part of our own history, culture and spiritual space." The narrative served as a prelude to invasion.

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Ukraine invaded -

In a televised address, Putin announced a "special military operation" in Ukraine after acknowledging the independence of Moscow-backed rebel regions in the east. This move marked the beginning of a full-scale invasion and the outbreak of a bloody war that has carried on for two years with no end in sight. 

See also: The secret fortunes of powerful world leaders

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