How Putin rose from intelligence officer to Russia's president for 25 years
How Putin rose from intelligence officer to Russia's president for 25 years
On the last day of the 20th century, when Vladimir Putin assumed the role of acting president of Russia, he was a mystery to many. The BBC's history segment 'In History' explored this leader's challenging childhood and journey to power.
Yeltsin’s administration had become increasingly unpopular and unstable amidst rampant corruption and significant political and social issues. He was a key figure in the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991. His tenure marked a transitional period from a state-controlled communist economy to a free-market economy—a tough time for Russia. For the new millennium, Yeltsin’s apparent successor, Putin, gave his first televised speech as acting president of Russia at midnight on December 31, 1999. He promised, “There will be no power vacuum.”
At the same time, Putin issued a warning: “Any attempt to bypass Russia's laws and constitution will be crushed decisively.”
Accustomed to Yeltsin’s erratic behavior, Russians found the lean, fit, energetic, and sober Putin appealing. Yeltsin’s bouts of drunkenness and illness were so notorious that just appearing in his office would make headlines. Putin became prime minister of Russia in August 1999. Before this, he was a relatively unknown figure, having worked for the KGB, the Soviet Union's intelligence agency. By the end of that year, after becoming the acting president of Russia, Putin gained popularity for his tough stance in the Chechen war.
In March 2000, Putin won nearly 53% of the vote in the first round of Russia’s national elections, becoming the elected president. Polls showed that most Russians at the time wanted economic stability above all. Putin’s fundamental message to voters was that he would rebuild Russia's strength.
The new leader of the world's largest country had risen to the top without leaving many clues about his path. It was clear that the then 47-year-old Putin was someone who liked to see himself and present himself as tough and resolute. For example, the judo black belt holder once said lawbreakers were like rats, and they should be crushed. But who was Putin really?
Putin grew up in Saint Petersburg, then known as Leningrad, a city founded by Tsar Peter the Great. The city was heavily influenced by the West but also reflected Russia’s royal past.
In 2001, Putin’s former judo instructor Anatoly Rakhlin told the BBC that Putin was a star student with the potential to make it to the Olympic team.
Anatoly added that Putin was determined to win—using strength if necessary, but cunning if not. Defeating him was tough because he would change tactics repeatedly to confuse his opponents.
Born in 1952, seven years after World War II, Putin had a tough start. His elder brother died during the siege of Leningrad, and his parents barely survived.
Putin grew up in a crowded communal apartment, sharing a single bathroom and kitchen with many families, living with rats and cockroaches.
In his autobiography, Putin recounted fighting rats on the stairwell as a child, once chasing a big rat into a corner, only for it to leap at him before escaping down the stairs.
Former Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev’s granddaughter, Nina Khrushcheva, told the BBC in a 2023 podcast that Putin’s story of the cornered rat was more or less aggressive depending on his audience.
Nina said Putin always told this story to explain his humble beginnings, how far he had come, and the many enemies he had faced throughout his life—how he had endured and risen above both domestic and foreign adversaries.
Putin’s childhood friend, psychologist Maria Osorina, told the BBC in 2003 that the environment they grew up in was one of “survival of the fittest.” Being the child of older parents, Putin was small, thin, and weak, making strength crucial for him to avoid being beaten.
Maria said Putin’s family instilled strong values of duty, patriotism, and loyalty. His parents loved him dearly; he was the center of their lives. They were naturally reserved and did not show emotions. Putin’s father was outwardly cold, and his mother was the same. They couldn’t even imagine kissing their son in public.
Putin’s schoolmate Sergei Kudryavtsev told the BBC in 2001 that friends and acquaintances remembered the young Putin as intelligent but reserved. He was never the center of attention but liked to influence events from the sidelines. His character was entirely different from his predecessor, Yeltsin. Putin was an introvert who believed in actions over words.
Putin had a romanticized view of being a spy and serving the country undercover. For someone like him, who avoided the spotlight, this was perhaps the ideal job. The Soviet spy thriller “The Shield and the Sword,” released in 1968, inspired Putin to join the intelligence agency.
Putin never wavered from his childhood ambition of becoming a spy. He became an intelligence officer through university studies and KGB training.
At 16, Putin went to the local KGB headquarters asking for a job. They told him to study law and then wait.
Six years later, the intelligence agency recruited Putin. He enjoyed a dual life as a spy for over 16 years. He was in East Germany when the Berlin Wall fell and returned to a Russia where all old certainties had collapsed.
In 1991, Putin became deputy to Leningrad's new mayor, Anatoly Sobchak. When Sobchak lost an election, the Kremlin chose Putin to replace him.
As Yeltsin’s administration limped to its end, Putin quietly positioned himself to become prime minister in 1999. An unknown figure suddenly became a household name.
Putin has been in power in Russia for 25 years. No one has ruled Russia for such a long time since Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin.
Now 72, Putin is serving his fifth term as president. In early 2024, the BBC’s Paul Kirby wrote, “All signs of opposition to his rule have been wiped out. He could stay in power until 2036 if he wishes, with little to stop him.”
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