The Russian President, Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, was born in Leningrad (now Saint Petersburg) on the 7th October 1952. He studied law at Leningrad State University, graduating in 1975. He worked as a KGB foreign intelligence officer based in Germany for 16 years, rising to the rank of lieutenant colonel before resigning to join politics. He briefly served as Director of the Federal Security Service (FSB) and Secretary of the Security Council, before being appointed as Prime Minister in August 1999 by the ex-President Boris Yeltsin. After the resignation of Boris Yeltsin as President, Putin became acting President. And months later...