Profile: From Leningrad to the Kremlin - The Rise and Rule of Vladimir Putin

An Investigative Journey into the Life, Power, and Global Influence of Russia’s Long-Serving Leader

Part of a the Trump’s Circle Series

In a cramped Soviet-era apartment in Leningrad, a young Vladimir Putin grew up amid post-war austerity and communist ideals. Decades later, he sits atop Russia’s power structure as its longest-serving leader since Stalin. Vladimir Putin’s journey from a working-class childhood to KGB spy, and ultimately to the presidency, is a story of ambition, secrecy, and an iron determination to restore Russia’s global stature. This investigative profile traces Putin’s life and career – from his formative years and KGB service to his ascent in politics, his tightening grip on Russia’s society and economy, and his confrontations with the West. Drawing on archives, expert analyses, and eyewitness accounts, we examine how Putin’s experiences shaped his worldview and governance, and how his rule has transformed Russia over the past quarter-century.

Early Life and Education

Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin was born on October 7, 1952, in Leningrad (now St. Petersburg), a city still scarred by the Second World War (Vladimir Putin | Biography, KGB, Political Career, & Facts | Britannica). He was the third son of Vladimir Spiridonovich Putin, a former Soviet Navy submariner, and Maria Ivanovna Putina, a factory worker; his two older brothers died in childhood (one in infancy and one during the Siege of Leningrad) (The Crazy Story of How Vladimir Putin Joined the KGB - Intellectual Takeout). Putin grew up as an only child in a communal apartment, where hardships and food rationing were part of daily life in the 1950s. By his own recollection and accounts from schoolmates, he was a scrappy and assertive boy – at one point deemed “uncontrollable” enough to be rejected from the Young Pioneers, the Soviet youth organization (The Crazy Story of How Vladimir Putin Joined the KGB - Intellectual Takeout). Seeking direction, the young Putin found role models in Soviet spy thrillers and war stories, nurturing an early fascination with the KGB and the idea of serving the Motherland.