Seven Important Things About Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Putin, born in Leningrad in 1952, is the current president of Russia. He was recently re-elected as the president of Russia for the fourth consecutive time.
The former Prime Minister started his political career as an officer in the Soviet Union’s secret police, the KGB. It was in 1999 when Russian President Boris Yeltsin fired his prime minister to promote Vladimir Putin in his place. After Yeltsin resigned, he made Putin president, who has since then continued as president of the country. At a time when Putin’s ties with the West are on a hostile trajectory, it is pertinent to look closely at 7 surprising facts about Russia’s powerful leader.
1. Vladimir Putin Loves Dogs
Despite a strict and no-nonsense image, he tries to portray to the public, Vladimir Putin loves dogs. He’s the proud owner of a Labrador Retriever whose name is Koni. Koni is found around Putin almost all the time and everywhere the leader goes, even at important cabinet meetings with foreign leaders. He’s frequently photographed petting, talking to and hugging other dogs around Russia; he once mentioned how he could read into a dog’s eyes and understand what they were actually thinking.
2. Vladimir Putin Has A Secretive Personal Life
Putin has two daughters with his former wife Lyudmilia. Their names are Yekaterina and Mariya, both of them in their mid-twenties. But they have never been photographed or seen in public. Nobody actually knows how the girls look like, or who they. Furthermore, Putin doesn’t allow anyone to find out where they reside, whether or not they’re married, etc. The Russian newspapers reported in 2005 that Putin’s daughters were attending college in St. Petersburg, but all speculations were immediately quashed.
3. Vladimir Putin Hates Speaking English
Putin although very fluent in English Language, doesn’t like to speak the language. The Russian president doesn’t have an issue with singing in English, though. He sang “Blueberry Hill” in 2010 with a jazz orchestra to raise money for a charity event in St. Petersburg. But he hardly speaks English except at international conferences, gatherings and meetings.
4. Vladimir Putin is a Homophobe
It’s an open secret that Putin is a homophobe, in 2013 precisely, he supervised and coordinated the implementation of hostile anti-gay laws in Russia. He hates homosexuality with a strong passion! Paradoxically, he loves Elton John. In an interview, the Russian president said Elton John was an extraordinary person and a notable musician.
5. Vladimir Putin Got Divorced in 2013
Vladimir Putin and his wife Lyudmilia announced in 2013 that they were getting a divorce. The announcement was made at the Grand Kremlin Palace, right after the ballet performance, “La Esmeralda”. According to the media, Russia’s most powerful political figure and his estranged wife barely talked to each other for years even as married couples. Rumour has it that Putin had a love affair with a much younger lady, a claim he came out publicly to dismiss.
6. Vladimir Putin Once Used Poison as a Political Weapon!
According to international government officials, Vladimir Putin was involved in the poisoning of Alexander Litvinenko, writer, dissident and former KGB agent. The alleged assassination went viral, with many people accusing Putin of the murder. Litvinenko brought specific accusations against Vladimir Putin, so it was obvious for the people to assume that the Russian president was behind Alexander’s death. He accused Putin of gaining power via a coup d’etat, which was organized by FSB, and he claimed that FSB was involved in numerous apartment bombings, while under Putin’s supremacy.
7. Vladimir Putin was recently returned as President with a Landslide Margin of 75.9
Putin, who has dominated the political landscape of Russia for the last 18 years, recently won an election to return as president for the fourth consecutive time. This victory extends his political dominance of Russia to nearly a quarter of a century, until 2024, by which time he will be 71. Only Soviet dictator Josef Stalin ruled for longer. He won convincingly with a margin of 75.9 percent votes. He defeated his opponents from the Communist Party Pavel Grudinin, who scored 13 percent, and Vladimir Zhirinovsky from the Nationalist party who managed just 6 percent of the Votes.