Vladimir Putin's Success and Achievements in Timeline
A success timeline featuring the most significant achievements of Vladimir Putin.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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: 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.
2001: Awarded Civilian Honors
Since 2001, at least fifteen countries have awarded Vladimir Putin civilian honors.
October 2002: Moscow Theater Hostage Crisis
The Moscow theater hostage crisis occurred in October 2002. Despite concerns of damaged popularity due to the deaths of 130 hostages, Putin's approval ratings actually increased to 83% following the special forces' rescue operation.
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.
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.
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.
June 2007: Putin's Approval Rating Reaches Second-Highest Globally
In a June 2007 public opinion survey, Putin's approval rating was 81%, the second-highest of any leader in the world that year, indicating strong public support.
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.
2007: Time Person of the Year
In 2007, Putin was named Time Person of the Year.
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.
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: Kazan Wins Bid for 2013 Summer Universiade
In 2008, the city of Kazan won the bid for the 2013 Summer Universiade.
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: Ramzan Kadyrov's Statement on Putin
Prior to 2011, Chechen Republic head Ramzan Kadyrov stated that Putin saved both the Chechen people and Russia.
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.
2013: Forbes Ranking
In 2013, Forbes ranked Putin the World's Most Powerful Individual.
August 2014: Putin's Approval Rating Reaches 87% After Sanctions
In August 2014, after EU and U.S. sanctions against Russian officials due to the Ukraine crisis, Putin's approval rating reached 87%, indicating a boost in support.
2014: Awarded Eighth-Degree Karate Black Belt
In 2014, Putin was awarded an eighth-degree karate black belt.
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.
January 2015: Eurasian Union established
On 1 January 2015, the Eurasian Union was established.
February 2015: Putin Ranked World's Most Popular Politician
In February 2015, based on domestic polling, Putin was ranked the world's most popular politician, showcasing his strong domestic support.
June 2015: Putin's Approval Rating Climbs to All-Time High
In June 2015, Putin's approval rating climbed to 89%, an all-time high, reflecting a peak in public support.
2015: Most Influential Person
In 2015, Putin was ranked No. 1 on Time's Most Influential People List.
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: Forbes Ranking
In 2016, Forbes ranked Putin the World's Most Powerful Individual.
2017: Putin Highly Popular in Vietnam
Putin was also highly popular in some non-Western countries, such as Vietnam, where his approval rating was 89% in 2017.
2018: Forbes Ranking
In 2018, Forbes ranked Putin as the second most powerful individual.
October 2021: Survey Finds Majority Trust in Putin
A survey released in October 2021 found that 53% of respondents said they trusted Putin.
2022: Revocation of Honorary Doctorates
In 2022, some organizations revoked honorary doctorates and other awards given to Putin in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
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.
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.
