Putin recently faced heavy criticism for his decision to intervene in the internal turmoil in Ukraine and seized the Crimean Peninsula, is the President of the Russian Federation, presently serving in his third term. His political history has been well-documented and examined throughout the years, but here are some facts about him, you may not have known about.
Background:
Putin is a former officer of the Soviet intelligence agency KGB, rising to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in his 16 years of service. As part of the former Russian president Boris Yeltsin's administration, He quit the KGB to enter politics. He became Russia’s Acting President when Yeltsin resigned in 1999. Either as president or prime minister, Putin has been in power since 2000.
Personal Particulars:
Date of Birth: 7 October 1952 (age 69)
Birthplace: Leningrad (now Saint Petersburg), Russian SFSR, Soviet Union
Sister: N/A
Brothers: Albert Putin (Died in Infancy), Viktor Putin (Died of Diphtheria during the siege of Leningrad)
Birthplace: Leningrad (now Saint Petersburg), Russian SFSR, Soviet Union
Spouse: Lyudmila (Divorced)
Height: 168 cm
Weight: 71 kg
Favorite Rock Band: The Beatles
Favorite Food: Pistachio ice-cream
Smoking/ Drinking: Vladimir Putin does not smoke but consumes alcohol occasionally
battles: Second Chechen War, Russo-Georgian War, Syrian Civil War, Russo-Ukrainian War
Some lesser-known facts about Vladimir Putin:
1. Born in poverty:
As Putin himself explains, his father worked at the Train Car Factory. His mother used to sweep streets and wash test tubes. They were not privileged to have hot water and bathtub. Their toilet “ran smack up against a stair landing.” He recalls living in a cold, crowded apartment infested with rats.
2. Hobbies:
The former president of Russia loves to spend his time in swimming and hunting, horse riding. He is also interested in judo, skiing, ice hockey, fishing.
3. Language:
Putin does not like speaking in the English language, maybe because of his ‘dislike’ towards the ‘English’
4. Victim of bullying:
He was a victim of bullying in his school days because of his late puberty, in order to get rid of that he started learning Judo. He earned a black belt in Judo at the age of 18.
5. Concerned about privacy:
Due to his privacy concerns, both of his daughters (Maria and Ekaterina) allegedly attend university under false names. Even no one knows their exact whereabouts to this date.
6. Affairs:
Putin is rumored to be in a relationship with Alina Kabaeva, a former Olympic rhythmic gymnast and Russian MP. He has denied having an affair with the gold medalist since their alleged relationship was first reported in 2008 by a local newspaper. The newspaper was forced to shut down after publishing the news.
7. Car Collection:
Vladimir Putin is said to own more than 700 cars.
8. Nobel Peace Prize Nomination:
Vladimir Putin was nominated for the ‘Nobel Peace Prize’ in 2014, his peaceful solution to Syria’s use of chemical weapons.
9. Advocate for Animal Rights:
He is a keen animal lover and owns seven dogs. He makes a strong effort to assist in the research of various animal species such as tigers, polar bears, dolphins, and cranes. He also pushes for laws for better treatment of animals.
You must be logged in to post a comment.