Whether it’s pure force, the use of weapons or this super-secret spy strategy, all these have one thing in common: Vladimir Putin.
However, Putin’s biggest power is its political influence: he led Russia with an iron fist, crushing all kinds of political opposition, and was recently accused of involvement in the presidential election in the United States.
But how did Putin ended up from a poor kid born in St. Petersburg to becoming the symbol of modern Russia?
Vladimir Putin was born in 1952, his father being a master in a St. Petersburg factory and his mother a housewife.
During his childhood, Putin was involved in numerous conflicts with his colleagues, a moral feature that paved the way for his passion for judo.
After graduating from Leningrad State University, Putin became a KGB secret agent in 1975.
He spent 16 years there, and in 1990, when he returned to Russia, he began his political career.
He first worked as a civil servant in St. Petersburg City Hall, and his good results drew the attention of the councilors of Boris Iletin. After three years in Moscow, Putin was appointed Prime Minister of Russia in 1999.
A tragic event would define its political trajectory: the attacks in Russia in September 1999, that caused the death of 200, when Putin demonstrated his leadership skills. He accused the Chechen separatists of organizing the attacks and led a real campaign against them.
Therefore, after Ielin’s resignation in 2000, Putin became the new president of Russia.
Vladimir Putin was now in charge of the state, but he still did not have enough power to change things as he wanted to. His first move was to discuss with the richest people in Russia, the oligarchs, and to offer them two options: either to support the Putin regime or to go to jail.
Putin’s strategy has always been simple: restoring global influence and maintaining the former Soviet Union in its sphere of influence.
Vladimir Putin is in the last year of his mandate, but there are chances that he will run again and remain head of state until 2024.