The Yes, yes, or ras, if yes or us. Welcome to the Russian rulers history podcast

episode 117 Vladimir Putin, an unexpected rise.

Last time we recounted the story of the end of the reign of Boris Yeltsin

as the president of the newly Democratic Russian state.

The economy of Russia was in a state of depression and Yeltsin's popularity was at an all-time

low for a leader. A new, yet relatively unknown man was thrust into the position

as the President of Russia on Vladimir Putin.

Vladimir Vladimir Vladimir Vladimirovitch Putin. Biridonovich Putin and Maria Ivanovna Shalamova. He essentially was to become the first

Russian or Soviet ruler in many years that did not grow up under the spectra of Joseph Stalin or through the horrors of World War II.

This may explain why he is so much different from the normal leader of the Soviet Union or Russia after Stalin's death.

His early life was nothing special except that he was considered a rather rowdy young

boy, that is until he took up the sport of Judo.

Judo was to prove one of Putin's lifelong passions

as he is seen in a number of public pictures practicing.

One thing I have noticed while researching into the life of Vladimir Vladimorovich is that he likes to show himself off as a very, I might just say, masculine, virile and macho kind of guy, something he believes that Russia should do as a nation.

Now even though he was born after Stalin, he was still a firm believer in the communist way, so much so that he wanted to be a

KGB agent from a very early age.

Putin was supposedly enamored with actors like Vyachislav Tihonov and Grigori Zhj

both of whom played intelligence officers in the movies. At the age of 17 he went to the Leningrad KGB offices and asked,

what should he do to join up with the Intelligence Agency?

I was told to go to the university and major in law, which he did.

While attending Leningrad State University, one of his teachers was on Aetoli Sobchek, who was to play a key role in his rise up the ranks in the post-Soviet days.

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