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From Soviet spy to leader of modern Russia, Vladimir Putin has built a career marked by power, discipline and secrecy
Vladimir Putin, president Russian President Vladimir Putin was born on October 7, 1952, in the city of Leningrad, now called Saint Petersburg. The son of a former Soviet naval officer and a factory worker, Putin came from a humble background before embarking on a path marked by power, secrecy and much controversy.
Putin's beginning: From Leningrad to the KGB
Putin entered the Faculty of Law of Leningrad State University in 1970. He graduated with honors in 1975 with a thesis on U.S. policy in Africa.
In the same year, he was recruited by the feared Russian Committee for State Security, the KGB, the main intelligence service and secret police of the Soviet Union.
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He served in the KGB until 1991, the year the Soviet Union dissolved. During that time, he served for five years in East Germany. After that, he moved into intelligence, taking up positions in the KGB's successor, the FSB.
Rise to power
After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Putin began his political career as the coordinator of the St. Petersburg government. He rose to prominence and was called to the federal government, becoming an advisor to then-President Boris Yeltsin. In 1998, he was appointed head of the FSB and then prime minister.
With Yeltsin's resignation at the end of 1999, Putin assumed the presidency on an interim basis. From then on, he began his sequence in power that lasts until today, consolidating his image as a firm and centralizing leader.
Martial arts and discipline
Putin has a black belt in judo and advocates the practice as a form of personal discipline. He began practicing sambo, a Russian self-defense technique, at a young age and later specialized in judo.
"I started practicing judo when I was 14, and I actually started doing something called sambo, which is a Russian acronym for 'unarmed self-defense,' a Russian wrestling technique. After that, I joined a gym that taught judo. And I was what they call a master of the sport.”, stated the president.
This disciplined stance is something he also seeks to reflect in politics, according to his own speeches.
Putin and oligarchs' fortune
Putin is considered one of the richest men in the world, although he officially denies it. According to former allies and independent sources, he controls large fortunes through aides and advisors, some of whom are considered “front men”.
The president has close ties to several Russian oligarchs who became wealthy after the fall of the Soviet Union. Accusations of illegally amassing fortunes are long-standing, but have never been acknowledged by the Kremlin.
Pose and vanity
In addition to his power, Putin cultivates a public image of strength. He often appears in photos released by the Kremlin in situations that reinforce his virility: judo, shooting, swimming in freezing water, riding a horse without a shirt or showing off his pets. He has also been seen playing the piano at official events.
Family under secrecy
Despite the media coverage, Putin remains completely discreet about his family life. Little is known about his daughters, Maria and Katerina.
His identities and appearances are restricted. He officially separated from his wife Lyudmila in 2014. After that, he revealed that he was in love again, but never revealed who his new partner would be.
International recognition
Despite the criticism he receives, Vladimir Putin has received international awards. In 2007, he was named Person of the Year by Time magazine. In 2011, he received the Confucius Peace Prize, awarded by the China Center for International Peace Studies. In 2014, he was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.
The Russian president remains an influential and controversial figure on the international stage, combining political power, military discipline, a controlled image and a personal life shrouded in secrecy.
With information from O Globo.
