Vladimir Putin
§ the President of Russia since 7 May 2012; § the President from 2000 to 2008; § the Prime Minister of Russia from 1999 to 2000, from 2008 to 2012.
Childhood § was born in 1952 in Leningrad; § parents Vladimir Spiridonovich Putin and Maria Ivanovna Putina; § His mother - a factory worker, and his father - a conscript in the Soviet Navy; § had 2 elder brothers.
§ his grandfather, Spiridon Ivanovich Putin –worked as a cook for Vladimir Lenin and then for Nadezhda Krupskaya; § studied at school No. 193; § in the 6 th grade he started going in for sambo and then judo.
§ graduated from the International Law branch of the Law Department of the Leningrad State University in 1975; § Anatoly Sobchak lectured Putin's class on Business Law (khozyaystvennoye pravo).
KGB career § joined the KGB in 1975 upon graduation; § from 1985 to 1990 Putin worked in Dresden, East Germany; § worked there for 16 years till 1991.
Family § In 1983 married Lyudmila Shkrebneva; § they lived together in Germany from 1985 to 1990; § have two daughters, Mariya Putina and Yekaterina Putina.
Languages § Apart from Russian speaks fluent German; § his family used to speak German at home as well; § continues to use interpreters formal talks.
Sport § § Goes in for Judo and sambo; is a keen alpine skier; plays badminton; enjoys watching football and supports FC ; Zenit Saint Petersburg; § performs scuba diving.
Pets § owns a female black Labrador Retriever Koni, given as a gift by Sergey Shoigu; § a Karakachan Dog, Buffy, given as a gift by Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov.