[HIGHLIGHTS] From St. Petersburg to Moscow, major events in Putin’s political career: Where will he go in the next six years?

Putin was born on October 7, 1952, in Leningrad, Soviet Union (now St. Petersburg, Russia) His parents lost two children before he was born, one of whom died during the Nazis' long siege of Lenedrad during World War II.

Putin grew up in a public apartment building where rats were infested. He then joined the KGB, the Soviet state security agency, working in what was then the Democratic Republic of Germany from 1985 to 1990. After returning to China in 1990, Putin began his political career as an assistant to Anatoly Sobchak.