The place that marks Russian President Putin in his youth

A group of people gathered in front of the gray building - the oldest maternity hospital in Saint Petersburg - to learn about the place where President Putin was born.

Russian soldiers march past the FSB building, the predecessor of the KGB, in central Saint Petersburg. Photo: AFP

"This is where Vladimir Putin was born on October 7, 1952," Georgy Rusanov told the group of tourists, includingA few Russians and a Russian-American couple were listening.

"Volodya is not a gentle child," Rusanov continued while walking along Baskov Street, where the Russian president spent his childhood, according to AFP.

Saint Petersburg is famous for its White Nights, the period from May to July when the sun never sets, along with its gilded palaces and magnificent cathedrals. Now it is also popular for tours to learn about the hometown of Russia's 63-year-old leader.

Mr Putin was born and raised in the city, formerly known as Leningrad, for 40 years, during which time he was a KGB officer in East Germany, before moving to Moscow to lead the country in the mid-1990s.

Rusanov launched this tour a few years ago and it has attracted quite a lot of foreigners. Many of his colleagues have also planned to open their own Putin tours.

"It is very popular with foreign tourists," said Rusanov.

The one-day walking tour includes the courtyard where Putin used to “chase rats” as a boy, and the site of his “first date” with his ex-wife Lyudmila. Rusanov insists the tour has no political agenda, but is simply meant to paint a picture of Putin, whose approval ratings have soared to more than 80% since his 2014 decision to annex Crimea.

"This is the headquarters of the FSB - the predecessor of the KGB, where Vladimir Putin was recruited in 1975 after becoming one of the best graduates of the law faculty of Saint Petersburg University," Rusanov said.

"Putin decided to become a spy as a boy, after watching a spy movie," he said."This tour shows people another side of him, outside of work."

"Putin is a mystery," said Sam Roberts, a 45-year-old American tourist traveling with his Russian wife. They wanted to learn more about the Russian leader.

"He intrigued me, and he also intrigued the American people, where we don't know much about him," Roberts said.

d's concernThe number of foreign tourists visiting President Putin has skyrocketed, causing many other tour guides to want to open their own Putin tours.

"I want to introduce these types of tours to Chinese tourists, they will definitely be very attractive," said Ilya Ivannikov, 28, who joined Rusanov's group to gain experience.

Not only foreign visitors, but also locals love walking tours to learn about the Russian leader.

"My friends and I are big fans of the president," said Anna Kuznetsova, a tourist from the town of Kaluga, southwest of Moscow. "We agree with many of the issues he raises."

According to VNE