Putin was born in [[Leningrad]] on [[October]] 7, 1952. He was educated in law and economics at Leningrad State University before being assigned to work in the [[KGB]]. After five years in [[East Germany]], he took up various political positions before becoming [[prime minister]] in 1999. He has been elected [[president]] for two terms, 2000 and 2004.
Putin is seen generally as an antagonist in the West; his presidency has become increasingly authoritarian and it is uncertain whether he will stand down when his term runs out for the last time in 2008. Putin has been described as a [[dictator]] by many critics. For example, on April 14, 2007, Russian riot police beat a number of protesters and journalists at an anti-Putin rally at Pushkin Square in [[Moscow]]. <ref>''The Economist'', April 21, 2007</ref> Despite these political trends, Putin remains popular in Russia<ref>http://www.levada.ru/prezident.html Putin's Approval Ratings</ref>. Since coming to power, Putin has grown expanded Russia's economy and brought reduced inflation down there. <ref>''Time Magazine'', February 26, 2007</ref> The majority of Russians are relatively uninterested in politics outside of issues affecting their personal prosperity. <ref>''The Economist'', April 21, 2007</ref> and journalist [[Anna Politkovskaya]] argued that the Russian people, as a whole, have been willing to tolerate violence in the name of "comfort and peace and quiet". <ref>Politkovskaya, Anna. Putin's Russia. London: Harvill Press, 2004</ref> (Politkovskaya, an outspoken critic of Putin, was assassinated in 2006 <ref>http://news.independent.co.uk/europe/article1819666.ece</ref>, and it is widely believed that the Russian government had some involvement in this death.)
He is married to Lyudmila Putina since July 28, 1983 (former airline stewardess). They have two daughters.