Putin - from a naughty student to the pinnacle of power
(Baonghean.vn) - Mr. Putin has served three presidential terms and is known for being decisive and strong. With many outstanding achievements during his time in power, it is no surprise that Mr. Putin was re-elected as Russian president on March 18 to serve a fourth presidential term.
 |
Mr. Putin was born on October 7, 1952 in Leningrad, now St. Petersburg, to a family where his father was a mechanic and his mother only did manual labor such as a janitor, worker, cleaner... |
 |
| During his school years, Putin was a hyperactive and naughty boy, so his mother did not allow him to learn Judo. His mother was afraid that learning martial arts would cause her son more trouble. His mother only changed her attitude towards his practicing Judo when his martial arts teacher personally came to the house to persuade him. |
 |
| Teacher Vera Gurevich once shared: "I noticed that my student Putin really likes learning foreign languages and is very good at it. Putin is very intelligent and has a very good memory. I can see the potential and energy inside my student." |
 |
Putin's family lived in a shabby, run-down apartment block, living on a modest budget. "We lived simply, on cabbage soup, minced meat, and pancakes. On Sundays and holidays, my mother baked delicious pies filled with cabbage, meat, rice, and cottage cheese," Putin recalled in an interview. |
 |
| As a teenager, Putin dreamed of working for the KGB, the Soviet Union's famous intelligence agency. This dream was so strong that the young Putin went straight to the KGB office in St. Petersburg to ask how to become an intelligence officer. Finally, Putin's dream came true when he graduated from the law faculty of Leningrad University in 1975 and was assigned directly to the KGB. |
 |
| In August 1999, then Russian President Boris Yeltsin chose Mr. Putin - a young but talented politician - to be Prime Minister to replace Mr. Sergei Stepashin. On December 31, 1999, President Boris Yeltsin announced his resignation and appointed young Prime Minister Vladimir Putin as his successor. |
 |
| So far, what President Putin has done for Russia has proven that handing over power to him was the greatest success in Mr. Yeltsin's political life. And after nearly two decades, Mr. Putin has always been firmly at the pinnacle of power despite going through many storms and harsh challenges. |
 |
President Putin has shown the world Russia's endless internal strength despite the difficulties and crises that Russia has faced due to the hostile policies of the West, especially the United States.Not only did President Putin help Russia overcome crises, he also brought Moscow's position on the international stage to be on par with the US after decades of retreating "behind the scenes" since the collapse of the Soviet Union. |
 |
Under the leadership of President Putin, Russia has now returned to being one of the world's leading powers. According to the American newspaper Los Angeles Times, many Russians see Putin as the leader who has made "Russia great again" and therefore his approval rating is always sky high. |
 |
| “When you ask Russians whether they support Putin’s policies, it’s like asking, ‘Are you pro-Russia?’” said Andrei Kolesnikov, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Moscow Center. |
 |
| Many Russian voters share the belief that Mr. Putin is the one who helps Russia reap many economic and political achievements. |
 |
| Starting at 8am and by 8pm, the 2018 Russian presidential election was complete. With 90% of the votes counted, Putin was re-elected as Russian president with an overwhelming majority. With this result, Mr. Putin will be elected for a fourth term and become the leader of Russia for the next 6 years. In his victory speech near Red Square on March 18, Mr. Putin told the crowd that he considered the victory as a vote of confidence in what he had achieved under difficult conditions. |
