Vladimir Putin, born in Leningrad (now St. Petersburg) in 1952, was named Russia’s prime minister in 1999 before he was elected president in 2000.
Putin studied law at Leningrad State University before serving 15 years as an intelligence officer for the KGB, according to Britannica, rising to the rank of lieutenant colonel.
After the Soviet Union’s collapse in 1991, Putin retired and returned to Leningrad as a supporter of liberal politician Anatoly Sobchak, according to History.com. When Sobchak was elected mayor of Leningrad, Putin was named his head of external relations, as well as first deputy mayor.
In 1996, Sobchak lost an election and Putin resigned and moved to Moscow, where he was appointed deputy head of management under the Yeltsin administration, according to Biography.com.
On Dec. 31, 1999, Boris Yeltsin abruptly resigned, and named Putin acting president. Putin was formally elected president of Russia on March 26, 2000, capturing more than 50% of the vote, NPR reported.
As president, Putin divided Russia’s 89 regions and republics into seven new federal districts, which were each headed by a representative appointed by Putin, according to Britannica. Putin also removed regional governors’ rights to sit in the upper house of the Russian parliament and moved to reduce the power of Russia’s oligarchs by closing media outlets and launching criminal investigations against leading figures, according to Britannica.
Constitutional term limits meant Putin could not run for reelection in 2008, but when his protégé Dmitry Medvedev was elected to the presidency in 2008, he appointed Putin as the country’s prime minister, Biography.com reported. Putin was reelected to a third term as president in 2012 and changed Russia’s constitution so he can stay in power until 2036, or possibly even longer, USA Today reported.
Photos: Vladimir Putin, Russia's president ISTANBUL, TURKEY - JANUARY 08: Russian President Vladimir Putin talks onstage at the opening ceremony of the Turkstream Gas Pipeline Project on January 08, 2020 in Istanbul, Turkey. The TurkStream project comprises two underwater gas lines, each with an annual capacity of 15.75 billion cubic meters. Gas will initially flow to Turkey, while a combination of existing and new pipelines will subsequently take supplies via Bulgaria to Serbia and then on to Hungary. Russia is building TurkStream and doubling the capacity of NordStream across the Baltic Sea to Germany as part of plans to bypass Ukraine in its gas deliveries to Europe. (Photo by Burak Kara/Getty Images) (Burak Kara/Getty Images)
Photos: Vladimir Putin, Russia's President GENEVA, SWITZERLAND - JUNE 16: (L-R) U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, U.S. President Joe Biden, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov meet during the U.S.-Russia summit at Villa La Grange on June 16, 2021 in Geneva, Switzerland. Biden is meeting his Russian counterpart, Putin, for the first time as president in Geneva, Switzerland. (Photo by Peter Klaunzer - Pool/Keystone via Getty Images) (PETER KLAUNZER/Getty Images)
Photos: Vladimir Putin, Russia's President 373801 02: President Clinton, British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, chat before the start of the last session of the G8 Summit in Nago, Japan July 23, 2000. The leaders wrapped up their annual summit with a raft of worthy promises to help lagging poor countries cut their debts, fight disease and harness the power of new technologies. (Pool Photo by Newsmakers) (Pool/Getty Images)
Photos: Vladimir Putin, Russia's President 373794 03: Japanese Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori, left, and Russian President Vladimir Putin wave July 22, 2000 as leaders of the Group of Eight (G8) arrived for their first full-day of talks in Nago, Japan. (Pool photo by Newsmakers) (Getty Images/Getty Images)
Photos: Vladimir Putin, Russia's President PARIS - NOVEMBER 7: Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) shakes hands with French President Jacques Chirac at the Elysee Palace November 7, 2003 in Paris. (Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images) (Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images)
Photos: Vladimir Putin, Russia's President 397207 05: U.S. President George W. Bush (R) meets with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Oval Office at the White House November 13, 2001 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images) (Mark Wilson/Getty Images)
Photos: Vladimir Putin, Russia's President 371571 01: Russian President Vladimir Putin, center, and Tatarstan President Mentimir Shaimiev, right, walk during the celebration of the local Sabantuy holiday, June 24, 2000 outside Tatarstan's capital Kazan. Putin was taking an active part in mid-summer festivities in the central Russian republic, defeating a young woman at arm wrestling and retrieving a coin from a tub of fermented milk with his teeth. (Photo by Liaison) (Getty Images/Getty Images)
Photos: Vladimir Putin, Russia's President JERUSALEM, ISRAEL - JUNE 25: (ISRAEL OUT) In this handout image supplied by the Israeli Government Press Office (GPO), Russian President Vladimir Putin and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attend a joint press conference at the Israeli leader's Jerusalem residence on June 25, 2012 in Jerusalem, Israel. President Putin is on his first Middle East tour for seven years beginning with a trip to Jerusalem today. Talks on the crisis in Syria and Iran's nuclear plans will form part of the talks between Putin and Israeli leaders. (Photo by Kobi Gideon / GPO via Getty Images) (GPO/Getty Images)
Photos: Vladimir Putin, Russia's President MOSCOW - MAY 8: Russian President Vladimir Putin lays wreath at the Tomb of Unknown Soldier near the Kremlin wall 8 May, 2003 in Moscow. The ceremony is held a day ahead of the offical Victory Day celebrations on May 9, when Russia celebrates the Red Army's victory over the Nazis. (Photo by Tatyana Makeyeva/Getty Images) (Tatyana Makeyeva/Getty Images)
Photos: Vladimir Putin, Russia's President GLENEAGLES, UNITED KINGDOM - JULY 6: (NO UK SALES FOR 28 DAYS) Britain's Queen Elizabeth II poses for a group photo with G8 leaders, (front L-R) US President Bush, Britain's Prince Philip, French President Chirac, Queen Elizabeth II, British Prime Minister Tony Blair, Russian President Vladimir Putin, (back L-R) European Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso, Italian Prime Minister Berlusconi, German Chancellor Gerhard Schroder, Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin, before a dinner at Gleneagles during the G8 Summit on July 6, 2005 in Gleneagles, Scotland. (Photo by Pool/Anwar Hussein Collection/Getty Images) (Getty Images/Getty Images)
Photos: Vladimir Putin, Russia's President 397319 04: US President George W. Bush (R) and Russian President Vladimir Putin speak November 15, 2001 during a visit to Crawford High School in Crawford, Texas. Bush and Putin wrapped up a three day summit without agreeing on a US missile defense system but did agree to reduce their nations'' nuclear stockpiles. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) (Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
Photos: Vladimir Putin, Russia's President 392242 13: Leaders of the Group of Eight nations pose for a family photo July 22, 2001 at the G8 summit in Genoa, Italy. Left to right are Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, British Prime Minister Tony Blair, US President George W. Bush, French President Jacques Chirac, Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien and German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder. With them are Belgium Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt and President of the European Commission Romanao Prodi. (Pool Photo/Getty Images) (Getty Images/Getty Images)
Photos: Vladimir Putin, Russia's President 397227 02: Russian President Vladimir Putin, center, shakes hands with Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle (D-SD) as House Majority Leader Dick Armey (R-TX), left, Senate Minority Leader Trent Lott (R-MS), second from left, and Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert (R-IL), right, look on prior to their meeting November 13, 2001 on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. Putin is on an official visit to the United States. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images) (Alex Wong/Getty Images)
Photos: Vladimir Putin, Russia's President EVIAN, FRANCE - JUNE 2: (L-R) Romano Prodi, Junichiro Koizumi, Gerhard Schroeder, Jean Chretien, Vladimir Putin, Jacques Chirac, George W.Bush, Tony Blair, Silvio Berlusconi, and Kostas Simitis pose for a G8 portrait at the Royal Park Hotel June 2, 2003 in Evian, France. The G8 summit ends June 4. (Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images) (Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images)
Photos: Vladimir Putin, Russia's President 391284 01: Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, and actor Jack Nicholson, a guest of the Moscow International Film festival, speak with each other June 28, 2001 at the dacha of Russian director Nikita Mikhalkov in Moscow. (Photo by Vladimir Rodionov/Sergei Velichkin/ ITAR-TASS via Getty Images) (Itar-Tass/Getty Images)
Photos: Vladimir Putin, Russia's President 390177 02: Russian President Vladimir Putin welcomes Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands June 5, 2001 at the Kremlin in Moscow. The Queen''s visit to Moscow in the first stop on the monarch''s three-city State visit to Russia. (Photo by Oleg Nikishin/Getty Images) (Oleg Nikishin/Getty Images)
Photos: Vladimir Putin, Russia's President ENNISKILLEN, NORTHERN IRELAND - JUNE 18: Leaders (L-R) Russia's President Vladimir Putin, Britain's Prime Minister David Cameron, US President Barack Obama stand for the 'family' group photograph at the G8 venue of Lough Erne on June 18, 2013 in Enniskillen, Northern Ireland. The two day G8 summit, hosted by UK Prime Minister David Cameron, is being held in Northern Ireland for the first time. Leaders from the G8 nations have gathered to discuss numerous topics with the situation in Syria expected to dominate the talks. (Photo by Matt Cardy/Getty Images) (Matt Cardy/Getty Images)
Photos: Vladimir Putin, Russia's President 397411 06: US President George W. Bush (L) and Russian President Vladimir Putin greet each other during a toast at the conclusion of dinner at the Bush Ranch November 14, 2001 in Crawford, Texas. (Photo by Eric Draper/White House/Getty Images) (The White House/Getty Images)
Photos: Vladimir Putin, Russia's President SOCHI, RUSSIA - MARCH 15: Russian President Vladimir Putin is seen on day eight of the Sochi 2014 Paralympic Winter Games at Laura Cross-country Ski & Biathlon Center on March 15, 2014 in Sochi, Russia. (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images) (Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)
Photos: Vladimir Putin, Russia's President MADRID, SPAIN - FEBRUARY 08: Russian President Vladimir Putin (3rd R) and his wife Ludmila Putin (2nd R) are received by Spanish Royals for a gala lunch at Zarzuela Palace on February 8, 2006 in Madrid, Spain.From (L to R) are: Crown Prince Felipe of Spain, Princess Letizia of Spain, King Juan Carlos of Spain, Putin, Ludmila Putin and Queen Sofia of Spain. (Photo by Carlos Alvarez/Getty Images) (Carlos Alvarez/Getty Images)
Photos: Vladimir Putin, Russia's President 391449 01: Russian President Vladimir Putin, center, and his visiting French counterpart Jacques Chirac, right, prepare to fish for trout at a pond July 1, 2001 at the Russian Fishing restaurant in St. Petersburg. Chirac is on an official visit to Russia to discuss arms control as well as regional issues such as Iraq and the Balkans. The man at left is unidentified. (Photo by Itar-Tass/Getty Images) (Getty Images/Getty Images)
Photos: Vladimir Putin, Russia's President SAINT EMILION, FRANCE - FEBRUARY 12: Russian President Vladimir Putin feeds a horse February 12, 2003 in Saint Emilion, France. The horse is one of two horses offered by the King of Morocco to French writer and academic Maurice Druon. Putin ends a three-day state visit to France today. France, Russia and Germany continue to call for greater efforts to disarm Iraq through peaceful means. (Photo by Gilles Bouquillon/Getty Images) (Gilles Bouquillon/Getty Images)
Photos: Vladimir Putin, Russia's President BEIJING, CHINA - JUNE 5: Chinese President Hu Jintao (R) and Russian President Vladimir Putin shake hands during a signing ceremony at the Great Hall of the People on June 5, 2012 in Beijing, China. Putin has arrived in China for a three day visit during which discussions will focus on approaches to Syria, Iran and the influence held by the United States in Asia. (Photo by Mark Ralston - Pool/Getty Images) (Pool/Getty Images)
Photos: Vladimir Putin, Russia's President ENNISKILLEN, NORTHERN IRELAND - JUNE 18: Leaders (L-R) President of the European Commission Jose Manuel Barroso, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Russia's President Vladimir Putin, Britain's Prime Minister David Cameron, US President Barack Obama, French President Francois Hollande, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta and European Council President Herman Van Rumpuy, stand for the family group shot at the G8 venue of Lough Erne on June 18, 2013 in Enniskillen, Northern Ireland. The two day G8 summit, hosted by UK Prime Minister David Cameron, is being held in Northern Ireland for the first time. Leaders from the G8 nations have gathered to discuss numerous topics with the situation in Syria expected to dominate the talks. (Photo by Matt Cardy/Getty Images) (Matt Cardy/Getty Images)
Photos: Vladimir Putin, Russia's President LONDON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 02: Russian President Vladimir Putin (C) celebrates Tagir Khaibulaev of Russia's gold medal in the Men's -100 kg Judo on Day 6 of the London 2012 Olympic Games at ExCeL on August 2, 2012 in London, England. (Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images) (Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)
Photos: Vladimir Putin, Russia's President VATICAN CITY, VATICAN - JULY 04: Russian Federation President Vladimir Putin (L) meets with Pope Francis at the Vatican on July 04, 2019 in Vatican City, Vatican. (Photo by Getty Images) (Getty Images/Getty Images)
Photos: Vladimir Putin, Russia's President HELSINKI, FINLAND - JULY 16: Russian President Vladimir Putin hands U.S. President Donald Trump (L) a World Cup football during a joint press conference after their summit on July 16, 2018 in Helsinki, Finland. The two leaders met one-on-one and discussed a range of issues including the 2016 U.S Election collusion. (Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images) (Chris McGrath/Getty Images)