HERE'S WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT VLADIMIR PUTIN'S CHILDHOOD
By JEAN MENDOZA
History - Science
Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin was born on October 7, 1952, in modern-day St. Petersburg to Vladimir Spiridonovich Putin and Maria Shelomova. Losing two sons before Vladimir’s birth was difficult for his parents, which is why they were so protective of him.
As a child, Putin wasn’t the best-behaved boy in school, as revealed in a grade book, where his instructor noted that he “threw chalkboard erasers at the children” and “didn't do his math homework.” Vladimir, a student of Judo in his youth, also mastered sambo — a combination of judo and wrestling — in his teens.
The grade book also shows that although Vladimir wasn’t exceptional in studies, he was greatly interested in history and German. His grades may have improved over the years, though, because he joined School 281, which was known for accepting only achievers.
Putin’s wish to work as an intelligence officer came true when he graduated from Leningrad State University in 1975 and joined the KGB, where he would receive praise for his work ethic. Of course, he eventually delved into politics and would go on to take over the presidency from Boris Yeltsin in 1999.