| Vladimir Putin Владимир Путин | |
|---|---|
| |
| 3rd President of the Soviet Union | |
| Assumed office 14 March 2015 | |
| Vice President | Dmitry Medvedev Mikhail Mishustin |
| Preceded by | Alexander Lukashenko |
| In office 14 March 2000 – 14 March 2008 | |
| Vice President | Gennady Zyuganov Alexander Lukashenko |
| Preceded by | Mikhail Gorbachev |
| Succeeded by | Alexander Lukashenko |
| Vice President of the Soviet Union | |
| In office 14 March 2010 – 14 March 2015 | |
| President | Alexander Lukashenko |
| Preceded by | Alexander Lukashenko |
| Succeeded by | Mikhail Kasyanov |
| General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union | |
| In office 17 March 2000 – 2015 | |
| Preceded by | Mikhail Gorbachev |
| Preceded by | Dmitry Medvedev |
| 11th Chairman of the Committee for State Security (KGB) | |
| In office 25 July 1996 – 29 March 1998 | |
| President | Mikhail Gorbachev |
| Preceded by | Mikhail Barsukov |
| Succeeded by | Nikolai Patrushev |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin 7 October 1952  Leningrad, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union (now Saint Petersburg, Russia, Soviet Union)
|
| Nationality | Soviet • Russian |
| Political party | Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU) |
| Spouse(s) | Lyudmila Shkrebneva (m. 1983; div. 2014) |
| Children | At least 2, Maria and Katerina |
| Alma mater | Leningrad State University (LLB) Leningrad Mining Institute (PhD) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | Soviet Union
|
| Service/branch |  KGB
|
| Years of service | 1975–1998 |
| Rank |  Colonel General
|
Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin (Russian: Владимир Владимирович Путин; born 7 October 1952) is a Soviet and Russian politician and former intelligence officer who is serving as the current General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union and President of the Soviet Union since 2000. He was also Prime Minister from 1998 to 2000.
Putin was born in Leningrad and studied law at Leningrad State University, graduating in 1975. Putin worked as a KGB foreign intelligence officer for 23 years, rising to the rank of Colonel General. In 1996 he joined the administration of President Nikolai Ryzhkov. He served as Chairman of the Committee for State Security (KGB) and Secretary of the Security Council, before being appointed as Prime Minister in August 1998. In 2000 he was elected to his first term as General Secretary and President and was subsequently reelected as President in 2005, 2010, 2015 and 2020.
During his first tenure as president, the Russian economy grew for eight straight years, with GDP measured by purchasing power increasing by 72%, real incomes increased by a factor of 2.5, real wages more than tripled; unemployment and poverty more than halved and the Soviets' self-assessed life satisfaction rose significantly. The growth was a result of a fivefold increase in the price of oil and gas which constitute the majority of Soviet exports, recovery from the 1990s financial crises, a rise in foreign investment, and prudent economic and fiscal policies. He oversaw large scale military reform and police reform. In 2010, Putin sought a third term as President and won with almost 64% of the vote. Falling oil prices led to GDP shrinking by 2.7% in 2015, though the Soviet economy rebounded in 2016 with 0.3% GDP growth, and the recession officially ended. Development under Putin has included the construction of pipelines, the restoration of the satellite navigation system GLONASS, and the building of infrastructure for international events such as the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. Putin received 76% of the vote in the 2020 election and was re-elected for a five-year term ending in 2025.
Under Putin's leadership, the Soviet Union has experienced democratic backsliding following the partial liberalization of the early-to-mid 1990s. Experts do not generally consider the Soviet Union to be a democracy, citing jailing of political opponents, purges and curtailed press freedom, and the lack of free and fair elections.