Early Life and Education of Vladimir Putin: A Complete Timeline
An overview of the childhood and early education of Vladimir Putin, highlighting the experiences that shaped the journey.
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.
1911: Birth of Putin's Parents
In 1911, Vladimir Spiridonovich Putin and Maria Ivanovna Putina, Vladimir Putin's parents, were born.
1940: Birth of Brother Viktor
In 1940, Viktor, one of Vladimir Putin's brothers, was born.
1941: Death of Maternal Grandmother
In 1941, Vladimir Putin's maternal grandmother was killed by the German occupiers of the Tver region during World War II.
1942: Father Wounded in War
In 1942, during the Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union, Vladimir Putin's father was severely wounded while serving in the regular army.
October 1952: Putin's Birth
In October 1952, Vladimir Putin was born in Leningrad, Soviet Union (now Saint Petersburg, Russia), the youngest of three children.
September 1960: Started School
In September 1960, Putin began attending School No. 193 at Baskov Lane.
1970: Started at Leningrad State University
In 1970, Putin began studying law at the Leningrad State University named after Andrei Zhdanov (now Saint Petersburg State University).
1975: Graduation from Leningrad State University
In 1975, Putin graduated from the Leningrad State University with a law degree.
1978: Publication of 'Strategic Planning and Policy'
In 1978, King and Cleland's 'Strategic Planning and Policy' was published, later allegedly used by Putin for his thesis.
July 1983: Putin's Marriage to Lyudmila Shkrebneva
On 28 July 1983, Putin married Lyudmila Shkrebneva.
April 1985: Birth of Mariya Putina
On 28 April 1985, Mariya Putina, Putin's daughter, was born in Leningrad (now Saint Petersburg).
August 1986: Birth of Yekaterina Putina
On 31 August 1986, Yekaterina Putina, Putin's daughter, was born in Dresden, East Germany (now Germany).
November 1989: Fall of the Berlin Wall
In November 1989, during the fall of the Berlin Wall, Putin reportedly saved files of the Soviet Cultural Center and KGB villa in Dresden.
1989: Confrontation with Protesters
In 1989, while posted in Dresden, Putin confronted anti-communist protestors attempting to occupy Stasi buildings.
1990: End of Living in East Germany
From 1985 to 1990, Putin and his family lived together in East Germany.
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.
1993: Wife's Car Crash
In 1993, Putin's wife was involved in a serious car crash, which Putin said contributed to his religious awakening.
August 1996: Dacha Fire
In August 1996, a life-threatening fire burned down Putin's dacha, contributing to his religious awakening.
1996: Dacha Fire and Reconstruction
In 1996, Putin's dacha burned down, after which he built a new one identical to the original and formed the Ozero cooperative.
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 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.
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.
March 2003: Birth of Alleged Daughter Elizaveta
In March 2003, Elizaveta (Luiza Rozova), allegedly Putin's daughter, was born.
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.
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).
2007: Belief in God
In 2007, when asked if he believed in God, Putin responded that there are things he believes that should not be shared with the public.
April 2008: Rumors of Divorce and Engagement
In April 2008, the Moskovsky Korrespondent reported that Putin had divorced Lyudmila and was engaged to marry Alina Kabaeva, though the story was denied.
2009: Gifting Expensive Watches
In 2009, Putin gifted a Blancpain watch to a Siberian boy and another similar watch to a factory worker.
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: Awarded Eighth Dan in Judo
In 2012, Putin was awarded eighth dan of the black belt in judo, becoming the first Russian to achieve the status.
2012: Birth of Grandson
In 2012, Putin's daughter Maria gave birth to a grandson.
June 2013: Announcement of Marriage Ending
On 6 June 2013, Putin and Lyudmila announced that their marriage was over.
April 2014: Finalization of Divorce
On 1 April 2014, the Kremlin confirmed that Putin's divorce from Lyudmila had been finalized.
2014: Awarded Eighth-Degree Karate Black Belt
In 2014, Putin was awarded an eighth-degree karate black belt.
2015: Reported Birth of Daughter with Kabaeva
In 2015, Kabaeva reportedly gave birth to a daughter by Putin; this report was denied.
2017: Birth of Grandchildren
In 2017, Putin reportedly had another grandson through Maria and a granddaughter through Katerina.
2018: Considered working as a taxi driver
According to Putin's statements in 2018 and 2021, he may have worked as a private taxi driver to earn extra money, or considered such a job.
2018: Sensory Room Installation Allegation
In 2018, the Russian political magazine Sobesednik alleged that Putin had a sensory room installed in his private residence in the Novgorod Oblast.
2019: Reported Birth of Twin Sons with Kabaeva
In 2019, Kabaeva reportedly gave birth to twin sons by Putin.
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.
November 2020: Allegation of Another Daughter
In November 2020, an investigation alleged that Putin has another daughter, Elizaveta, with Svetlana Krivonogikh.
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.
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.
November 2021: Burns personal meeting with Putin
In November 2021, William Burns had a personal meeting with Putin
2021: Considered working as a taxi driver
According to Putin's statements in 2018 and 2021, he may have worked as a private taxi driver to earn extra money, or considered such a job.
April 2022: Speculation about Parkinson's Disease
In April 2022, The Sun reported that Putin may have Parkinson's disease based on video footage; the Kremlin rejected the possibility.
July 2022: CIA Director on Putin's Health
In July 2022, the director of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency, William Burns, stated they had no evidence to suggest Putin was unstable or in bad health.
2022: Swiss Media Report on Kabaeva's Births
In 2022, Swiss media reported that Kabaeva gave birth to a boy on both occasions.
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: 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.
