Career Timeline of Vladimir Putin: Major Achievements and Milestones
From career breakthroughs to professional milestones, explore how Vladimir Putin made an impact.
Vladimir Putin is a Russian politician who has dominated Russian politics for over two decades. He has served as President of Russia since 2012, and previously from 2000-2008, and as Prime Minister from 1999-2000 and 2008-2012. He is the longest-serving Russian president since the collapse of the Soviet Union.
1975: Joined the KGB
In 1975, Putin joined the KGB and began training at the 401st KGB School in Okhta, Leningrad.
September 1984: Further Training in Moscow
In September 1984, Putin was sent to Moscow for further training at the Yuri Andropov Red Banner Institute.
1985: Posting to Dresden
In 1985, Putin was posted to Dresden, East Germany, where he served until 1990 using a cover identity as a translator.
May 1990: Advisor to Mayor of Leningrad
In May 1990, Putin was appointed as an advisor on international affairs to the mayor of Leningrad, Anatoly Sobchak.
1990: End of Dresden Posting
In 1990, Putin's service in Dresden, East Germany, came to an end.
1990: Return to Leningrad
In 1990, after the collapse of the Communist East German government, Putin returned to Leningrad and joined the "active reserves".
June 1991: Head of Committee for External Relations
On June 28, 1991, Putin became the head of the Committee for External Relations of the Mayor's Office in Saint Petersburg.
August 1991: Resignation from KGB
On August 20, 1991, Putin claims that he resigned from the KGB with the rank of lieutenant colonel on the second day of the 1991 Soviet coup d'état attempt.
1991: Resignation from KGB
In 1991, Putin resigned from his position as a KGB foreign intelligence officer to begin his political career in Saint Petersburg.
1991: End of Communist Party Membership
In 1991, Putin's membership in the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU) ceased when the party dissolved.
March 1994: Appointed Deputy Chairman
In March 1994, Putin was appointed as first deputy chairman of the Government of Saint Petersburg.
1994: Held Political Positions in Saint Petersburg
From 1994 to 1996, Putin held several other political and governmental positions in Saint Petersburg.
June 1996: Resignation from Saint Petersburg Administration
In June 1996, Putin resigned from his positions in the Saint Petersburg city administration after Sobchak lost his re-election bid.
1996: Remained Head of Committee
Despite investigations, Putin remained the head of the Committee for External Relations until 1996.
1996: Move to Moscow
In 1996, Putin moved to Moscow to join the administration of President Boris Yeltsin, further advancing his political career.
March 1997: Appointed Deputy Chief
In March 1997, Putin was appointed as deputy chief of the Presidential Property Management Department.
March 1997: Appointed Deputy Chief of Presidential Staff
On 26 March 1997, President Boris Yeltsin appointed Putin deputy chief of the Presidential Staff.
April 1997: Promoted to 1st Class Active State Councillor
On 3 April 1997, Putin was promoted to 1st class Active State Councillor of the Russian Federation.
June 1997: Defense of Candidate of Science Dissertation
In June 1997, at the Saint Petersburg Mining Institute, Putin defended his Candidate of Science dissertation in economics, titled Strategic Planning of the Reproduction of the Mineral Resource Base of a Region under Conditions of the Formation of Market Relations. Allegations later surfaced that portions of his thesis were plagiarized.
1997: Received Degree in Economics
In 1997, Putin received a degree in economics at the Saint Petersburg Mining University.
May 1998: Retained Post as Deputy Chief of Presidential Staff
In May 1998, Putin retained his post as deputy chief of the Presidential Staff.
May 1998: Appointment as First Deputy Chief of Presidential Staff
In May 1998, Putin was appointed First Deputy Chief of the Presidential Staff for the regions, succeeding Viktoriya Mitina. He later headed a commission for agreements on regional power delimitation, though no agreements were completed under his leadership.
June 1998: Chief of Main Control Directorate
Putin was chief of the Main Control Directorate of the Presidential Property Management Department until June 1998.
July 1998: Appointment as Director of the Federal Security Service (FSB)
In July 1998, Yeltsin appointed Putin as director of the Federal Security Service (FSB). During his tenure, Putin focused on reorganizing and strengthening the agency, marking a period where he consolidated power and reinforced state security.
August 1998: Putin Learns Financial Crises Are Politically Destabilizing
During the Russian financial crash of August 1998, Putin learned that financial crises are politically destabilizing and must be avoided at all costs.
August 1999: Appointment as Prime Minister
In August 1999, Putin was appointed as Prime Minister of Russia before becoming acting president.
September 1999: Rising Popularity Amidst Crisis
Following the September 1999 Russian apartment bombings and the invasion of Dagestan by mujahideen, Putin's 'law-and-order' image and approach to the Second Chechen War led to a surge in his popularity, allowing him to overtake rivals.
December 1999: Putin's Foreign Policy Objectives Outlined
In December 1999, Putin's document "Russia at the Turn of the Millenium" outlined his foreign policy objectives, emphasizing Russia's unique values and fears of losing unity.
December 1999: Support for the Unity Party
In December 1999, while not formally associated with any party, Putin pledged his support to the newly formed Unity Party, which subsequently won the second largest percentage of the popular vote in the Duma elections.
December 1999: Assumption of Acting Presidency
On December 31, 1999, Yeltsin unexpectedly resigned, making Putin the Acting President of the Russian Federation, according to the Constitution. He then visited Russian troops in Chechnya.
1999: Appointment as Prime Minister of Russia
In 1999, Putin was appointed as the Prime Minister of Russia, marking a significant step in his political career.
March 2000: Victory in Presidential Elections
Due to Yeltsin's resignation, the presidential elections were held on 26 March 2000. Putin won in the first round with 53% of the vote.
May 2000: Putin visits Tashkent
In May 2000, Putin visited Tashkent, Uzbekistan, improving relations after a period of lukewarm ties under Yeltsin and Islam Karimov.
May 2000: Creation of Federal Districts
On 13 May 2000, Putin issued a decree organizing the 89 federal subjects of Russia into seven administrative federal districts and appointed a presidential envoy responsible for each of those districts.
May 2000: Inauguration as President
On 7 May 2000, Putin's inauguration as President occurred. He appointed Mikhail Kasyanov as prime minister.
July 2000: Putin visits North Korea
In July 2000, Putin became the first Russian or Soviet leader to visit North Korea, meeting Kim Jong-il shortly after visiting South Korea.
July 2000: Putin Gains Right to Dismiss Heads of Federal Subjects
In July 2000, according to a law proposed by Putin and approved by the Federal Assembly of Russia, Putin gained the right to dismiss the heads of the 89 federal subjects.
2000: Start of National Reconstruction and Agreement with Oligarchs
Between 2000 and 2004, Putin began the reconstruction of Russia, reaching a 'grand bargain' with the Russian oligarchs, who maintained most of their powers in exchange for support of Putin's government.
2000: First Presidential Term
In 2000, Putin began his first term as President of Russia, a position he held until 2008.
2000: Co-authored "Learn Judo with Vladimir Putin" in Russian
In 2000, Putin co-authored a book entitled "Learn Judo with Vladimir Putin" in Russian.
2000: Election Campaign Managed by Litvinenko
In 2000, Vladimir Litvinenko managed Putin's presidential election campaign in St Petersburg.
2000: Launch of Socio-Economic Development Programme
In 2000, Vladimir Putin launched the "Programme for the Socio-Economic Development of the Russian Federation for the Period 2000–2010".
2000: Putin's Presidential Elections
Since 2000, Vladimir Putin has been nominated and elected as President of Russia all five times, typically under an independent banner.
2003: Chechen Constitution Referendum
In 2003, a referendum was held in Chechnya, adopting a new constitution that declared the Republic of Chechnya as part of Russia, while granting the region autonomy.
2003: End of Putin's "reform" years
In 2003, according to Sergey Guriyev, Vladimir Putin's first term concluded, marking the end of the "reform" years in his economic policy.
March 2004: Re-election to the Presidency
On 14 March 2004, Putin was elected to the presidency for a second term, receiving 71% of the vote.
2004: End of the First Phase of National Reconstruction
Between 2000 and 2004, Putin began the reconstruction of Russia, reaching a 'grand bargain' with the Russian oligarchs, who maintained most of their powers in exchange for support of Putin's government.
2004: Co-authored "Judo: History, Theory, Practice" in English
In 2004, Putin co-authored a book entitled "Judo: History, Theory, Practice" in English.
2004: Re-election as President
In 2004, Putin was re-elected as President of Russia for his second term.
2004: Re-election Campaign Managed by Litvinenko
In 2004, Vladimir Litvinenko again managed Putin's presidential election campaign in St Petersburg.
2004: Putin signs the Kyoto Protocol treaty
In 2004, Vladimir Putin signed the Kyoto Protocol treaty designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
2004: Start of Putin's "statist" years
In 2004, according to Sergey Guriyev, Vladimir Putin's second term began, initiating the "statist" years in his economic policy.
2004: Changes to Election of Regional Governors
In 2004, the direct election of those heads (usually called "governors") by popular vote was replaced with a system whereby they would be nominated by the president and approved or disapproved by regional legislatures.
2005: Russia Repays Soviet Union's Debts
By 2005, a fund for oil revenue allowed Russia to repay the Soviet Union's debts during Vladimir Putin's administration.
2005: Launch of National Priority Projects
In 2005, the National Priority Projects were launched to improve Russia's health care, education, housing, and agriculture, addressing the decline in the social safety net and life expectancy that preceded Putin's rule.
2006: Putin's Income
In 2006, Putin's reported income totaled 2 million rubles (approximately $152,000).
2006: Launch of Industry Consolidation Programme
In 2006, Vladimir Putin launched an industry consolidation program to bring the main aircraft-producing companies under a single umbrella organization, the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC).
January 2007: Putin Favors Democratic Multipolar World
In a January 2007 interview, Putin stated Russia's support for a democratic multipolar world and strengthening international law.
May 2007: Act of Canonical Communion
On 17 May 2007, Vladimir Putin took an active personal part in promoting the Act of Canonical Communion with the Moscow Patriarchate, which restored relations between the Moscow-based Russian Orthodox Church and the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia after the 80-year schism.
August 2007: Russian Flag Planting at the North Pole
In August 2007, under Vladimir Putin's leadership, Russian expedition Arktika 2007 planted a flag on the seabed at the North Pole.
September 2007: Government Dissolved; Nuclear Bomber Exercises
On 12 September 2007, Putin dissolved the government upon the request of Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov. On 19 September 2007, Putin's nuclear-capable bombers commenced exercises near the US, for the first time since the downfall of the USSR.
December 2007: United Russia Victory in Duma Elections
In December 2007, United Russia—the governing party that supports the policies of Putin—won 64.24% of the popular vote in their run for State Duma according to election preliminary results, indicating strong popular support for the Russian leadership.
December 2007: Major Navy Sortie into the Mediterranean
On 5 December 2007, during a meeting with Vladimir Putin, Russian defense minister Anatoliy Serdyukov announced that 11 ships, including the aircraft carrier Kuznetsov, would take part in the first major navy sortie into the Mediterranean since Soviet times.
2007: Putin Predicts Russia Will Be One of World's Five Largest Economies
According to Meduza, Vladimir Putin has predicted on a number of occasions since 2007 that Russia will become one of the world's five largest economies.
2007: Putin visits Indonesia
In 2007, Putin became the first Russian or Soviet leader in half a century to visit Indonesia, leading to the signing of an arms deal and discussions of long-standing ties.
2007: Cultivating a Macho Image
In 2007, Putin cultivated a macho, outdoorsy public image by demonstrating his physical prowess and participating in unusual or dangerous acts.
2007: Sochi Wins Bid for 2014 Winter Olympics
In 2007, Vladimir Putin led a successful effort on behalf of Sochi for the 2014 Winter Olympics and the 2014 Winter Paralympics.
2007: Wealth Disclosure During Election
In 2007, official figures released during the legislative election put Putin's wealth at approximately 3.7 million rubles (US$280,000).
May 2008: Appointment as Prime Minister
On 8 May 2008, only a day after handing the presidency to Medvedev, Putin was appointed Prime Minister of Russia, maintaining his political dominance.
2008: Prime Minister Under Medvedev
From 2008 to 2012, Putin served as Prime Minister of Russia under Dmitry Medvedev due to constitutional term limits.
2008: Overcoming the Consequences of the World Economic Crisis
In 2008, Putin identified overcoming the consequences of the world economic crisis as one of the main achievements of his second premiership.
2008: Second Term as Prime Minister
In 2008, Putin served again as Prime Minister of Russia until 2012, following his presidential term.
2008: Abandonment of Socio-Economic Development Programme
In 2008, Vladimir Putin's "Programme for the Socio-Economic Development of the Russian Federation for the Period 2000–2010" was abandoned, with only 30% completion.
2008: End of Putin's "statist" years and start of economic crisis and recovery
In 2008, according to Sergey Guriyev, the first half of the year marked the end of Vladimir Putin's "statist" years and the second half of the year began the world economic crisis and recovery period in his economic policy.
2008: Extension of Presidential Terms
In 2008, shortly after Medvedev took office, presidential terms were extended from four to six years, effective with the 2012 election.
2008: Kazan Wins Bid for 2013 Summer Universiade
In 2008, the city of Kazan won the bid for the 2013 Summer Universiade.
September 2011: Medvedev Announces Putin as Presidential Candidate
On 24 September 2011, at the United Russia party congress, Medvedev announced he would recommend the party nominate Putin as its presidential candidate.
November 2011: Agreement setting a target of establishing the Eurasian Union signed
On 18 November 2011, the presidents of Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia signed an agreement setting a target of establishing the Eurasian Union by 2015.
2011: Stabilizing Russia's population
In 2011, Putin identified stabilizing the size of Russia's population between 2008 and 2011 as one of the main achievements of his second premiership.
2011: All-Russia People's Front Set Up
In 2011, the All-Russia People's Front was set up, with Putin later being elected head of the movement in June 2013.
March 2012: Putin Wins 2012 Presidential Election
On 4 March 2012, Putin won the 2012 Russian presidential election in the first round, with 63.6% of the vote, amid accusations of vote-rigging.
May 2012: Inauguration and "May Decrees"
In May 2012, Putin's presidency was inaugurated in the Kremlin, and he issued 14 presidential decrees, known as the "May Decrees," outlining wide-ranging goals for the Russian economy.
August 2012: Russia Joins the World Trade Organization
In August 2012, Russia joined the World Trade Organization.
2012: Return to Presidency and "Manual Management"
After Putin resumed the presidency in 2012, his rule is best described as 'manual management' as the Russians like to put it. Putin does whatever he wants, with little consideration to the consequences with one important caveat. Therefore, he cares about financial stability.
2012: "Rokirovka" Deal
In 2012, Medvedev allowed Putin to run for president, as the two men had long ago cut a deal to allow Putin to run for president. This switch was termed by many in the media as "Rokirovka".
2012: Patriarch Kirill Endorses Putin
In 2012, Patriarch Kirill of Moscow endorsed Vladimir Putin's election, stating Putin's terms were like "a miracle of God".
2012: Putin's Reported Income
In 2012, Putin reported an income of 3.6 million rubles ($270,000).
2012: Return to Presidency
In 2012, Putin returned to the presidency after serving as Prime Minister, marking his third term as president.
2012: Assured of a Third Term
In 2012, observers believed that Putin was assured of a third term, as Medvedev proposed Putin stand for the presidency at the United Russia Congress in September 2011.
2012: Founding of the Izborsky Club
In 2012, the Izborsky Club was founded by the conservative right-wing journalist Alexander Prokhanov.
2012: Effective Election Term
In 2012, the election was set as the effective year, in which presidential terms were extended from four to six years, in 2008.
June 2013: Elected Head of All-Russia People's Front
In June 2013, Putin attended a televised rally of the All-Russia People's Front where he was elected head of the movement, which was set up in 2011.
2013: Putin Says Russia is Among Top 5 Economies
In 2013, Vladimir Putin stated that Russia was one of the five biggest economies in terms of gross domestic product but still lagged behind other countries on indicators such as labor productivity.
2013: Gay Athletes at the Sochi Olympics
In 2013, Vladimir Putin stated that gay athletes would not face any discrimination at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics.
2013: End of economic crisis and recovery period
In 2013, according to Sergey Guriyev, the economic crisis and recovery period ended in Vladimir Putin's economic policy.
October 2014: Addressed Russian Security Concerns at Valdai International Discussion Club
In October 2014, Putin addressed Russian security concerns in Sochi at the Valdai International Discussion Club.
2014: Russia writes off Uzbek debt
In 2014, Russia agreed to write off Uzbek debt, further improving relations between the two countries.
2014: Sochi Winter Olympics and Paralympics
In 2014, Russia hosted the Winter Olympics and Paralympics in Sochi, the first Winter Olympic Games ever hosted by Russia, due to the efforts led by Vladimir Putin in 2007.
2014: Deal to Supply China with Natural Gas and Person of the Year for Corruption
In 2014, Vladimir Putin signed a deal to supply China with 38 billion cubic meters of natural gas per year. Also in 2014, the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project named Putin their Person of the Year for furthering corruption and organized crime.
January 2015: Eurasian Union established
On 1 January 2015, the Eurasian Union was established.
March 2016: Withdrawal of Russian Forces from Syria
On 14 March 2016, Putin announced that the mission he had set for the Russian military in Syria had been "largely accomplished" and ordered the withdrawal of the "main part" of the Russian forces from Syria.
2016: Increase in Income Under Putin
From 2000 to 2016, under Vladimir Putin's administration, there was a 4.5 times increase in income in USD terms, fueled by the commodities boom.
2016: Russia boosts relations with the Phillipines
In 2016, relations between Russia and the Philippines received a boost as Putin forged closer bilateral ties with Rodrigo Duterte.
May 2018: Fourth Term Inauguration and Government Formation
In May 2018, Putin's fourth term began, and he invited Dmitry Medvedev to form a new government.
2018: Re-election as President
In 2018, Putin was re-elected as President of Russia for another term.
September 2019: Russia and Mongolia sign friendship treaty
In September 2019, Putin and his Mongolian counterpart signed a permanent treaty on friendship, enhancing trade and cultural exchanges between the two states.
2019: Russia Joins the Paris Agreement
In 2019, Russia, under Vladimir Putin's leadership, joined the Paris Agreement.
2019: Launch of Power of Siberia project
In 2019, Vladimir Putin launched the Power of Siberia project, a major construction project to supply natural gas to China.
January 2020: Nomination of Mikhail Mishustin as Prime Minister
In January 2020, Putin nominated Mikhail Mishustin as Prime Minister, who was later confirmed by the State Duma.
January 2020: Medvedev's Government Resigns
On 15 January 2020, Medvedev and his entire government resigned after Putin's 2020 Presidential Address to the Federal Assembly.
March 2020: Assistance to Italy during COVID-19 Pandemic
On 22 March 2020, Putin arranged for the Russian army to send military medics and equipment to Italy to help with the COVID-19 pandemic.
June 2020: Putin Publishes Essay on World War II History
On 18 June 2020, The National Interest published a nine-thousand-word essay by Putin, titled "The Real Lessons of the 75th Anniversary of World War II", criticizing the Western historical view of the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact.
July 2020: Putin Changes Constitution to Extend Presidency
In July 2020, Putin signed an executive order, officially inserting amendments into the Russian Constitution, allowing him to run for two additional six-year terms. These amendments took effect on July 4, 2020.
September 2020: Government Support Package for UAC
In September 2020, the UAC general director announced that the UAC would receive the largest-ever post-Soviet government support package for the aircraft industry to pay and renegotiate the debt.
December 2020: Putin Grants Lifetime Immunity to Ex-Presidents
On December 22, 2020, Putin signed a bill granting lifetime prosecutorial immunity to Russian ex-presidents.
April 2021: Constitutional Amendments
In April 2021, Putin signed into law constitutional amendments allowing him to run for reelection twice more, potentially extending his presidency to 2036.
June 2021: Putin Emphasizes Voluntary Vaccination, Hints at Mandatory Policies
In June 2021, Putin announced he was fully vaccinated with Sputnik V, advocating for voluntary vaccinations but suggesting mandatory policies in some professions to curb COVID-19's spread.
June 2023: Poll Shows Potential Voters for 2024 Election
A poll by Levada, conducted on 22–28 June 2023, showed that 42% of respondents would vote for Putin in the 2024 presidential election.
November 2023: VCIOM Poll on 2024 Presidential Election
In November 2023, a VCIOM poll found that 37.3% of respondents would vote for Putin in the upcoming election.
2023: Planned Increase in Defense and Security Spending
By the end of 2023, Vladimir Putin planned to spend almost 40% of public expenditures on defense and security.
February 2024: Interview with Tucker Carlson
Since the 2022 Ukraine invasion, Vladimir Putin has only once granted an interview to a Western journalist, namely Tucker Carlson in February 2024.
March 2024: VCIOM Poll on 2024 Presidential Election
According to a VCIOM poll conducted in early March 2024, 56.2% of respondents would vote for Putin.
March 2024: Re-election to Another Term
In March 2024, Putin was re-elected to another term as President of Russia.
May 2024: Putin Inaugurated for Fifth Term and Signals Shift to War Economy
On 7 May 2024, Putin was inaugurated as president of Russia for the fifth time. Replacing Sergei Shoigu with Andrey Belousov signals that Putin wants to transform the Russian economy into a war economy.
2024: Wouldn't Run For President in 2024
In May 2018, Putin announced that he would not run for president in 2024, justifying this in compliance with the Russian Constitution.
2024: Putin's Recent Election
In the most recent 2024 Russian presidential election, Putin achieved 88% of the popular vote. There were reports of irregularities at this election, including ballot stuffing and coercion.
2024: Putin Wins 2024 Russian Presidential Election
Putin won the 2024 Russian presidential election with 88.48% of the vote. International observers did not consider the election to be either free or fair.
2036: Potential End of Extended Presidency
In 2036, it is possible that Putin's presidency could extend up to this date, depending on the outcome of the re-elections.
