Putin 66: well-known and not very facts about the president of Russia

Russian President Vladimir Putin turned 66 years old. Among his colleagues in the GXNUMX countries, Putin is among the oldest leaders, writes BBC Russian Service.

Photo by: kremlin.ru

Ahead of him in seniority are Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (68 years old), US President Donald Trump (72 years old), Brazilian President Michel Temer (78 years old) and Saudi monarch Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud (82 years old).

At the start of his first term, 47-year-old Putin, by contrast, was among the youngest leaders of G20.

To find out how old Putin is compared to his predecessors, the journalists ranked all Russian and Soviet leaders over the past 556 years (starting with the first sovereign of All Russia, Ivan III Vasilyevich) by the age up to which they were in power.

IA "Amitel" remembers the facts from the biography of the head of state - both widely known, covered in the press, and not very advertised.

1. In childhood I dreamed of becoming a scout. And he became a KGB agent in 1975.
2. Putin grew up in a communal apartment for three families in Leningrad. He says that he remembers huge rats that were hunted in the stairwell.
3. The grandfather of the Russian president worked as a chef for Lenin in a country house. Several times he happened to cook Stalin.
4. In school, he had triples in chemistry, physics, algebra, and geometry.
5. Putin is the owner of the world famous Labrador Koni, the two poodles and the Bulgarian Shepherd Dog Buffy, Akita Inu, named Yume, Goat Tales, the dwarf horse Vadik.
6. They say Putin uses pets for psychological pressure on political opponents. Angela Merkel is afraid of dogs. The Chancellor's staff warns in advance that dogs should not be anywhere during her visits. But one day during a meeting between Putin and Merkel, the labrador Koni freely entered the room. Merkel pulled herself together with difficulty, and the Russian President asked: “Does the dog scare you?”
7. He is the author of the book “Learning Judo with Vladimir Putin,” published back in the 90s.
8. Collects maps and postage stamps with images of outstanding people.
9. The marriage of Vladimir and Lyudmila Putina broke up in 2013.
10. Carefully hides daughters. About them still little is known. Katya and Masha studied in colleges under fictitious names, their professions and place of residence are unknown.
    

    Photo by: kremlin.ru

11. 12 documentaries have been shot about Putin: “Unknown Putin”, “Comrade of the President”, “Putin’s System”, “55”, “The Wall”, “Putin, Russia, the West”, “Bridge over the Abyss”, “Dans la peau de Vladimir” Poutine” / “In the Skin of Vladimir Putin”, “The Real Putin”, “Paper Coronation”, “Putin’s Kiss”, “I, Putin. Portrait".
12. President Vladimir Putin is a character in a number of Russian feature films (“Stories”, “Gop-Stop”, “A Kiss Not for the Press”, “Zombie Vacation 3D”, “Kitchen in Paris”, etc.)
13. The cartoon Vladimir Putin appears in the animated series “South Park”, “Family Guy”, as well as in some video clips.
14. In September 2012, Putin flew with Siberian Cranes as part of the Flight of Hope project, dedicated to saving this rare species of crane. The President led a flock of five birds.
15. While working with Anatoly Sobchak, Putin wore both a crimson jacket and Adidas sweatpants.
16. In 1974, he won a Zaporozhets car in the lottery, which at that time was a completely respected car.
17. One of the first books in the West dedicated to Putin was “Savory Friendship” by the German journalist Irene Pietsch. The book was published at the very beginning of the 2000s. It describes the life of the Putin spouses during the work of the then little-known employee of the KGB of the USSR in the GDR.
18. Once, while studying at the school of Volodya, Putin ate 14 eclairs in a row. Lost, as argued on 20 eclairs.
19. Likes to use informal expressions in formal speeches. Famous phrases: “to soak in the toilets” and “like a slave in the galleys.”
    

    Photo by: kremlin.ru

20. In informal communication, Putin can betray a vigorous word. At the beginning of the 2000s, a number of journalists wrote his biography. One of them deciphered the text from the video. In the midst of work, his mother entered the journalist’s room, seeing the president on the screen and deciding that his speech was being broadcast. But when Putin uttered a strong word from the screen, she nearly fainted.
21. Vladimir Putin is a master of sports in sambo and judo, a black belt holder in judo.
22. Graphologists who have studied Putin’s handwriting argue that he does not have sufficient patience and tolerance, a psychological understanding of people in general, women in particular. Stubborn and unyielding. It is very critical to the whole world, people, but also to itself.
23. Publications by foreign psychologists claim that Putin is a very lonely person in life. Hence his demonstrative affection for animals and some phrases like “After Gandhi’s death, there is no one to talk to.”
24. Putin plays the piano. His repertoire is quite wide. Many have heard him perform “Where the Motherland Begins”, “Moscow Windows”, etc.
25. In the highest echelons of power and business in Russia today there are quite a few who worked with Vladimir Putin in the St. Petersburg mayor’s office - Dmitry Medvedev, Igor Sechin, German Gref, Alexey Miller, and others.
26. The Russian president loves spy novels. He once remarked: “What amazes me most is how one man can achieve what entire armies could not.”
27. While working in the Dresden branch of the KGB was forced to break away from the surveillance of foreign agents.
28. Putin’s school was punished for actively kissing girls.
29. At the beginning of 2000, the astrologers of Russia and Europe argued that, judging by the horoscope, Putin would be a tough ruler, immediately squeeze the country into an iron fist and begin to tighten the screws.
30. In 2011, Putin learned to skate and began playing hockey.
31. Putin is fluent in German and some English.
32. Among the favorite performers of the Russian president are the Lyube group, Grigory Leps, the Gypsy Dvor ensemble, and opera singer Khibla Gerzmava.
33. Vladimir Putin is a big fan of fishing. In July, 2013 caught a 21-kilogram pike on a lake in Tuva.
34. One of the most popular Yandex queries related to Putin is “Putin is a crab.” The reason for this is that in one of his speeches, the ex-president said that for eight years of his presidency he “toiled like a galley slave.” The phrase went to the people in an abbreviated version: “crab on galleys,” and then was completely reduced to one word “crab.”
35. Putin has one interesting feature: occupying this or that cabinet, he never contrives there. This is quite unusual, because all officials are trying to get rid of the things of the predecessor and adapt the cabinet for themselves. Putin never even changed the furniture.
36. The presidency of Putin was preceded by one incident, about which few people know: he had a cottage with all things and savings completely burned, and the family barely managed to escape from the fire. On the ashes, Putin unexpectedly found his cross for himself - he was not affected by the fire at all and glittered brightly. Immediately after this, Putin moved to Moscow, and a new stage of their life began there. Putin himself believes that this is symbolic - he even told Bush about this incident during one of the informal meetings.
37. In 1985 – 1990, Putin worked in the GDR as director of the Dresden Friendship House.
38. Putin received a number of foreign awards. Among them - the Grand Cross of the Order of the Legion of Honor.
    

    Photo by: kremlin.ru

39. Vladimir Putin was the third son in the family - two older brothers, born in the thirties, died in childhood.
40. In 2001, a BBC columnist opined that a “cult of personality of Vladimir Putin” was beginning to develop in Russia.
41. The President of Russia is an honorary citizen of more than ten cities and an honorary doctor of five foreign universities. Winner of several awards. He also became a laureate of the Confucius Peace Prize for outstanding achievements “in preserving peace.”
42. In June, 2006, Putin, heading for his residence, stopped to talk with tourists. His attention was attracted by a boy of four or five. Having asked his name, the president raised a T-shirt to him, smacked his stomach and left in front of astonished tourists.
43. Putin wears a watch exclusively on his right hand. He explains this by saying that only when he wears a watch on his right hand does the crown not rub the brush.
44. In the 2010 year, at the request of AvtoVAZ representatives, the prime minister tested the new model of the domestic LADA Kalina for long distances. And on the eve of the Russian Grand Prix Formula 1 races in Sochi from 2014, Vladimir Putin personally conducted a test-drive of the Renault R29 race car.
45. Parents did not approve of Volodya Putin's training in martial arts sections. Mom constantly said before his training: “He went to his fight again.”
46. Many Putin fans are worried about his heredity. Both Putin’s mother and father died of cancer.
47. A number of songs by Russian performers are dedicated to Vladimir Putin - “Such as Putin” (group “Strelki”), “Volodya Putin” (group “MAO”), “Letter to the President” (group “Bad Balance”), etc.
48. The Russian president is skeptical about taking medication, even if it is a common cold pill. He prefers folk remedies - bath, honey, massage.
49. In August, 2015, Putin plunged into the bathyscaphe to the bottom of the Black Sea and examined the remains of the ships sunk in the 21st century, which the press was actively writing about. Prior to that, he had twice been at the bottom of the sea. In August, 2011, being Prime Minister, Putin visited Taman, where, after scuba diving, he inspected the ruins of Phanagoria, an ancient city that went under water. Among the ruins, he discovered two ancient amphoras. In July, 2013, Putin sank to the bottom of the Baltic.
50. Putin has problems with punctuality. According to his ex-wife, he was always late for dates, and not for 15-20 minutes, but for 1,5 hours. At the same time, the girl always waited for him.
51. Once at school, classmate Natasha L. recalls, Volodya Putin bet “on principle” that he could hang by his hands outside the school balcony (on the 4th floor!), and won the bet.
52. In addition to martial arts, Putin is keen on alpine skiing. If not for his appointment, on January 2 of 1999, he would fly out on a private visit to Kamchatka. There he was promised to climb a helicopter to the top of the mountain and then descend from it already on skis. Judging by the terms that the prime minister easily uses, he owns this sport quite professionally.
53. Despite all his obvious restraint, Putin likes to unexpectedly switch from official to informal language. It cannot be said that he was specifically working for the public: at one meeting dedicated to the problem of nursing homes, where the press was not allowed at all, he listened to the governors’ reports for a long time and then summed up: “Why are you complicating everything! There is only one problem: the old grandmother is dying of hunger, and we must help her!”
54. In the 1961 year, after the removal of Stalin's body from the mausoleum, many people began to throw portraits of the leader in the trash. Putin’s school friend, Sergei Bogdanov, recalled that he and the future president had taken one portrait from a school dump. In the evening, Putin hung him on the wall of the house in which he lived. The scandal was terrible.
55. During Putin’s presidency, 65% of the oil industry and 95% of the gas industry were nationalized.
56. It has long been rumored about the romance of the head of state and Olympic champion Alina Kabaeva. But Putin categorically refuses to answer provocative questions from journalists regarding his personal life.
57. Vladimir Putin was several times named the person of the year and the most influential person in reputable foreign publications. In 2013 and 2014, Putin took first place in Forbes magazine's annual ranking of the "most powerful people in the world", pushing Barack Obama to second place.
58. In 1979, Putin was sent to a six-month course at the KGB Higher School. In 1985, already an intelligence major, Putin graduated from the USSR KGB Institute with a degree in foreign intelligence. Then he studied German and received the nickname Platov.
59. During the coup in 1991, when the State Emergency Committee rushed to power, Putin left the KGB. By the way, the fact that Anatoly Sobchak spoke out against the Emergency Committee, many researchers associate directly with the departure of Putin.
60. In 2018, Russians learned a lot about the new car for official presidential events - the Cortezh project limousine. Its length is 6 meters 62 centimeters, width - 2 meters, height - 1,695 meters, ground clearance - 200 millimeters. The car is equipped with a 4,4 liter biturbo engine. Its power is 598 horsepower.

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