Like a character straight out of some warped, Russian propaganda comic book, Vladimir Putin is interesting to say the least. His bizarre antics and shirtless candids have been the bud of many jokes, but what motivates this man? What is really going through his head? Who is he? These are questions worth exploring during this Cold War II of tension.
From Pioneer to KGB Agent
Putin’s life has been politically influenced since a young age. He grew up in the Soviet Union, participating in the Soviet youth organization, Young Pioneers, and decided to pursue a job in intelligence before graduating from high school.“In the fifth grade, he still hadn’t found himself yet, but I could feel the potential, the energy and the character in him,” Vera Gurevich, Mr. Putin’s fifth grade teacher said according to Putin’s personal website, eng.putin.kremlin.ru. Gurevich wanted to keep Putin away from the boys on the street and even went so far as to meet with his father to influence the young Putin, but to no avail.
 |
| Putin in Young Pioneers Photo from Putin’s Personal Website |
The Young Pioneers was an organization that began in 1922 and lasted until 1990. The group was composed of 10-15 year old children who participated in activities much like the Boy Scouts of America.The children camped, did arts and crafts, had their own songs and played sports, states the russiapedia.rt.com article on the subject.
Being a Young Pioneer meant more than fun activities. Each Pioneer had to make a promise to be admitted:
“I, (last name, first name), joining the ranks of the V.I. Lenin All-Union Pioneer Organization, in the presence of my comrades solemnly promise: to love and cherish my Motherland passionately, to live as the great Lenin bade us, as the Communist Party teaches us, and as required by the laws of the Young Pioneers of the Soviet Union.”
Putin, after joining the Pioneers, quickly rose the ranks of the detachment in his class, states the website. He also started to do well in school in order to achieve success.
“It became clear that street smarts were not enough, so I began doing sports. But even that was not enough for maintaining my status, so to speak, for very long. I realised that I also needed to study well,” Putin was quoted saying on his website. All his studying led to his acceptance into Leningrad State University as a student of law in 1970. After receiving his law degree in 1975, Putin went on to study at KGB school in Moscow.
“Even before I finished high school, I wanted to work in intelligence,” Putin said according to his website.
Upon graduating from KGB school, Putin did different domestic work for the agency including counterintelligence. After working domestically, Putin attended the Andropov Red Banner Institute. This prepared him for his work in East Germany, states the website. He spent five years (1985-1990) in Dresden, East Germany.
“Putin’s real job [in East Germany] was discovering potential KGB agents among the foreign students at the Technical University. He looked for people whose families were part of the political elite at home, and who could become valuable informants after returning to their native countries,” Christian Neef said in an article for Spiegel Online International.
“He was a pragmatist […] someone who thinks one thing and says something else,” said Vladimir Ussolsev, an office worker in Dresden with Putin, was quoted as saying in Neef’s article. Ussolsev described Putin in the article as a conformist who didn’t want to change his native country and a man playing the committed Communist to keep up appearances.
“Putin concealed his energy behind a studied air of politeness and courtesy. When interacting with his superiors, he gave the impression of being extremely obedient, even dependent,” Neef said in the article, paraphrasing Ussolsev. This always led to Putin being favored by superiors, Ussolsev said.
After returning from abroad in 1990, Putin rose the ranks from assistant to the rector of Leningrad State University to, in 1994, becoming the Deputy Chairman of the St. Petersburg City Government. It wasn’t until his work with the city when he resigned from the KGB.
Putin dove into the political arena in 1996 after moving to Moscow. He held a number of long, complex titles until 1999 when he became the prime minister of Russia under President Boris Yeltsin.
Yeltsin was clear about where he expected Putin’s career would go.
“I have decided to name a man who in my opinion is capable of uniting society, based on the broadest political forces, to ensure the continuation of reforms in Russia […] I have confidence in him […] And I want those who go to the polls next July to be confident in him as well,” Mr. Yeltsin was quoted as saying in an August 1999 article by The Moscow Times.
Yeltsin then, with three months remaining before the next presidential election, resigned.
“By appointing Mr. Putin acting president today at a private Kremlin ceremony with a personal blessing by Aleksy II, patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church, Mr. Yeltsin seemed determined to try to put a lock on Mr. Putin’s succession to the presidency in n election that will be held three months from now,” stated a New York Times article published January 1, 2000. “There was speculation in Moscow that one factor in Mr. Yeltsin’s timing was to push Mr. Putin forward before the war in Chechnya could begin to sour and his ratings to fall,” the article stated.
“It was a very strong move by the president […] He did it at the most appropriate time, when popular support for Putin is at a high. Early elections will hamper all of the opposition. This will increase Putin’s chance of being elected many times over,” then member of the Parliament Vladimir Ryzhkov was quoted as saying in the Times article.
Come election time in 2000, it was no surprise Mr. Putin won. The election was met by with celebration over the seemingly democratic transition by some while others were skeptical of the legitimacy of the election.
“In March 2000 Vladimir Putin cruised to victory in a presidential election which was a foregone conclusion. Russia’s unsteady transition to democracy passed a crucial test: the first peaceful transition of power in the presidency since 1991, and the first democratic transfer of power in Russian history,” said Peter Rutland in an article entitled “Putin’s Path to Power". “However, few could escape the irony of an election ten years after the collapse of the USSR where the main choice was between candidates drawn from two pillars of the Soviet state: a Communist (Gennadii Zyuganov) and an ex-KGB man (Putin,” Rutland said.
“Putin was able to win a victory that would be any western politician’s dream. He won by more than 20% of the vote against a fragmented opposition without really committing himself to any particular set of policies after he’s elected. So, he can now claim to have a crushing vote and mandate to do pretty much anything he wants to do. And in the case of Putin, I think that’s a slightly worrisome turn of events,” Steven Solnick, author of “Stealing the State: Control and Collapse in Soviet Institutions” said in an interview for PBS in 2000.
“It became clear that street smarts were not enough, so I began doing sports. But even that was not enough for maintaining my status, so to speak, for very long. I realised that I also needed to study well,” Putin was quoted saying on his website. All his studying led to his acceptance into Leningrad State University as a student of law in 1970. After receiving his law degree in 1975, Putin went on to study at KGB school in Moscow.
“Even before I finished high school, I wanted to work in intelligence,” Putin said according to his website.
Upon graduating from KGB school, Putin did different domestic work for the agency including counterintelligence. After working domestically, Putin attended the Andropov Red Banner Institute. This prepared him for his work in East Germany, states the website. He spent five years (1985-1990) in Dresden, East Germany.
“Putin’s real job [in East Germany] was discovering potential KGB agents among the foreign students at the Technical University. He looked for people whose families were part of the political elite at home, and who could become valuable informants after returning to their native countries,” Christian Neef said in an article for Spiegel Online International.
 |
| Putin as KGB Agent |
“Putin concealed his energy behind a studied air of politeness and courtesy. When interacting with his superiors, he gave the impression of being extremely obedient, even dependent,” Neef said in the article, paraphrasing Ussolsev. This always led to Putin being favored by superiors, Ussolsev said.
After returning from abroad in 1990, Putin rose the ranks from assistant to the rector of Leningrad State University to, in 1994, becoming the Deputy Chairman of the St. Petersburg City Government. It wasn’t until his work with the city when he resigned from the KGB.
Quick Rise to Power
 |
| Putin and Yeltsin |
Yeltsin was clear about where he expected Putin’s career would go.
“I have decided to name a man who in my opinion is capable of uniting society, based on the broadest political forces, to ensure the continuation of reforms in Russia […] I have confidence in him […] And I want those who go to the polls next July to be confident in him as well,” Mr. Yeltsin was quoted as saying in an August 1999 article by The Moscow Times.
Yeltsin then, with three months remaining before the next presidential election, resigned.
“By appointing Mr. Putin acting president today at a private Kremlin ceremony with a personal blessing by Aleksy II, patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church, Mr. Yeltsin seemed determined to try to put a lock on Mr. Putin’s succession to the presidency in n election that will be held three months from now,” stated a New York Times article published January 1, 2000. “There was speculation in Moscow that one factor in Mr. Yeltsin’s timing was to push Mr. Putin forward before the war in Chechnya could begin to sour and his ratings to fall,” the article stated.
“It was a very strong move by the president […] He did it at the most appropriate time, when popular support for Putin is at a high. Early elections will hamper all of the opposition. This will increase Putin’s chance of being elected many times over,” then member of the Parliament Vladimir Ryzhkov was quoted as saying in the Times article.
2000 Election
 |
| Putin in 2000 |
“In March 2000 Vladimir Putin cruised to victory in a presidential election which was a foregone conclusion. Russia’s unsteady transition to democracy passed a crucial test: the first peaceful transition of power in the presidency since 1991, and the first democratic transfer of power in Russian history,” said Peter Rutland in an article entitled “Putin’s Path to Power". “However, few could escape the irony of an election ten years after the collapse of the USSR where the main choice was between candidates drawn from two pillars of the Soviet state: a Communist (Gennadii Zyuganov) and an ex-KGB man (Putin,” Rutland said.
“Putin was able to win a victory that would be any western politician’s dream. He won by more than 20% of the vote against a fragmented opposition without really committing himself to any particular set of policies after he’s elected. So, he can now claim to have a crushing vote and mandate to do pretty much anything he wants to do. And in the case of Putin, I think that’s a slightly worrisome turn of events,” Steven Solnick, author of “Stealing the State: Control and Collapse in Soviet Institutions” said in an interview for PBS in 2000.
In Putin’s inaugural address he said, "I can assure you that in my work I will be guided only by the interests of the state but there may well be mistakes.But I can promise you, and indeed I do promise, you that I will work openly and honestly.I consider it my sacred duty to unite the people of Russia and to gather citizens around the clearly-defined tasks and aims and to remember, every minute of every day, that we are one nation and we are one people. We have one common destiny.”
Putin was a mystery to much of the world and his aims seemed very vague.
Putin was a mystery to much of the world and his aims seemed very vague.
