Vladimir Putin's Milestones
Birth
Vladimir Putin was born in Leningrad (now St. Petersburg), Russia, to Vladimir Spiridonovich Putin and Maria Ivanovna Shelomova.
Early childhood and education
Attended School No. 193 and then High School 281 in Leningrad; began practicing sambo and judo at age 12.
Attended Leningrad State University
Studied law at Leningrad State University, graduating in 1975; joined the Communist Party.
Joined KGB
Joined the KGB, trained in Leningrad and Moscow; served in counterintelligence and foreign intelligence; posted in Dresden, East Germany (1985–1990); resigned as lieutenant colonel after 1991 coup attempt.
Married Lyudmila Shkrebneva
Married Lyudmila Shkrebneva; had two daughters, Maria (1985) and Yekaterina (1986); divorced in 2013.
Returned to St. Petersburg
Worked at Leningrad State University and then as advisor to Mayor Anatoly Sobchak; became chairman of Committee for External Relations and later First Deputy Mayor.
Moved to Moscow
Appointed Deputy Chief of Presidential Property Management Department, then Deputy Chief of Presidential Staff, and Chief of Main Control Directorate.
Director of FSB
Appointed Director of the Federal Security Service (FSB), reorganized the agency, and became Secretary of the Security Council.
Appointed Prime Minister
Appointed Prime Minister of Russia by President Boris Yeltsin; gained popularity for law-and-order stance during Second Chechen War.
Acting President of Russia
Became Acting President after Yeltsin's resignation; granted Yeltsin immunity from prosecution.
First presidential term
Elected President of Russia; implemented centralization reforms, economic growth, and military action in Chechnya.
Second presidential term
Re-elected President; oversaw economic expansion, crackdown on oligarchs, and increased state control over media and energy.
Prime Minister under Medvedev
Served as Prime Minister under President Dmitry Medvedev; led government during 2008 financial crisis and 2008 war with Georgia.
Third presidential term
Re-elected President; faced mass protests, enacted conservative social policies, and oversaw 2014 Sochi Olympics.
Annexation of Crimea
Oversaw the annexation of Crimea from Ukraine, leading to international condemnation and sanctions.
Intervention in Syria
Ordered Russian military intervention in Syrian Civil War, bolstering Assad regime and expanding Russian influence in the Middle East.
Fourth presidential term
Re-elected President; implemented pension reform, managed COVID-19 pandemic, and further centralized power.
Constitutional changes
Oversaw constitutional referendum allowing extension of presidential terms and defining marriage as between a man and a woman.
Full-scale invasion of Ukraine
Ordered a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, leading to global conflict, sanctions, and ongoing war.
Re-elected for fifth term
Won 2024 presidential election with 88% of the vote amid international criticism; inaugurated for a fifth term.