Changes

|}

|}

==Background==

==Background==

Putin was born in [[Leningrad]] on [[October]] 7, 1952.  According to a made-for-television documentary entitled, ''The second baptism of Rus'', Putin told a personal story how his mother had him secretly baptized in the Russian Orthodox church as his father, who was a member of the Communist Party organization in the factory where he worked, would have faced serious problems.<ref>https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2013/07/23/putin-christened-in-secret-from-his-father-a26057</ref>  Putin was a [[judo]] champion in his youth.<ref>http://nypost.com/2013/11/13/vladimir-putin-is-tougher-than-chuck-norris/</ref> He was educated in law and economics at Leningrad State University before being assigned to work in the [[KGB]].<ref>[http://en.putin.kremlin.ru/ Webpage of Vladimir Putin]</ref>  After five years in [[East Germany]], he took up various political positions before becoming [[prime minister]] in 1999.  

Putin was born in [[Leningrad]] on [[October]] 7, 1952.  His parents survived the [[Siege of Leningrad]], however his 1-year-old brother Igor did not, and was buried along with 500,000 other victims in a public park.  Putin's father had six brothers and five of them died in the war. Some of his mother’s relatives were also killed in the conflict. Putin said that his parents had no hatred for the German soldiers. “How can anyone hate those soldiers? They were ordinary people and they also died in battle. (...) They are laborers, just like us. They were sent to the front too,” his mother told him.<ref>https://www.rbth.com/politics/2015/05/07/vladimir_putin_reveals_familys_wwii_ordeals_in_magazine_article_45805.html</ref>

 

According to a made-for-television documentary entitled, ''The second baptism of Rus'', Putin told a personal story how his mother had him secretly baptized in the Russian Orthodox church as his father, who was a member of the Communist Party organization in the factory where he worked, would have faced serious problems.<ref>https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2013/07/23/putin-christened-in-secret-from-his-father-a26057</ref>  Putin was a [[judo]] champion in his youth.<ref>http://nypost.com/2013/11/13/vladimir-putin-is-tougher-than-chuck-norris/</ref> He was educated in law and economics at Leningrad State University before being assigned to work in the [[KGB]].<ref>[http://en.putin.kremlin.ru/ Webpage of Vladimir Putin]</ref>  After five years in [[East Germany]], he took up various political positions before becoming [[prime minister]] in 1999.  

[[File:Vladtheimpaler.jpg|thumb|200px|Putin at an conference]]

[[File:Vladtheimpaler.jpg|thumb|200px|Putin at an conference]]

He was married to Lyudmila Putina, a former stewardess with Aeroflot, from July 28, 1983, until 2014, when the two divorced. They have two daughters.  

He was married to Lyudmila Putina, a former stewardess with Aeroflot, from July 28, 1983, until 2014, when the two divorced. They have two daughters.