Vladimir Putin was born on October 7, 1952, in Leningrad, Russia. He is the current president of Russia. After completing his Law Degree, Putin joined the KGB, the Soviet Union's intelligence agency. In political career, Putin served as prime minister (in-office) of Russia from August 9, 1999 to May 7, 2000 and again from May 8, 2008 to May 07, 2012. He also held the position of acting president of Russia from December 31, 1999, to May 7, 2000. And, later Putin served as President (in Office) from May 7, 2008 to May 7, 2012. He assumed office again on May 7, 2012. Since taking office as Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin has been one of the most influential and controversial leaders in the world.

Beyond political career, there are still many things about Putin that remain relatively unknown to the average person. Here are some interesting facts about Vladimir Putin that you may not have heard before.

14 Unique and Interesting Facts about Vladimir Putin

He is a Soccer Fan

Fitness freak Putin has been a fan of sports especially soccer or football since childhood. Even though he is a busy person, Putin continues to follow his favourite sport and he often watches European soccer matches on TV. Argentine legend Diego Maradona and Brazilian star player Pele were his favourite players in football.

Putin Learned Judo to Grow up

When he was a teenager, Putin noticed that other boys were growing up faster than him. He started learning judo to speed up his growth. He won a black belt in judo at the age of 18. Yet he regularly takes martial arts training.

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Speaks German Fluently

Putin spent six consecutive years in Dresden as a member of the KGB. Due to this, he speaks German fluently as his second language. Putin is seen speaking in German during a meeting with Angela Merkel in St. Petersburg in June 2013. However, Putin knows several languages from the Soviet Union. Surprisingly, the international language is English, but Putin doesn't know much about it.

Loves Detective Stories

He himself was a KGB spy and maybe the matter is permanently embedded in him. And maybe that's why he likes detective stories so much. As he once said in a speech, I am always thrilled to see the victory of a man in a place where an entire army has failed.

Putin Loves His Pet Dogs

Putin loves his pet dogs so much that he is sometimes seen with them in political activities. Even at international conferences, dogs are sometimes present.

First Wife Did Not Know Putin's Actual Identity

Before the marriage, the first wife did not know Putin's true identity. When he got married, Putin was a KGB agent. It was an Intelligence security agency of the former Soviet Union. The KGB was essentially military intelligence, which was governed by military law. However, his first wife Lyudmila did not know anything about his profession until the last moment of their marriage.

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Putin's Mother Almost Returned from The Grave

From 1941 to 1944, Leningrad, Russia, was under siege. German and Finnish forces disrupted all communications and supplies. Among those detained was Putin's mother, Maria Ivanovna. About one million people were killed during the siege. Among those killed was Putin's older brother. But Ivanovna survived. And then Putin was born.

Father was Physically Disabled

Putin’s father used to work with the Soviet Navy, but he lost his legs during World War II. And Putin's father was very poor.

Orthodox Christians

Putin is a devout Orthodox Christian. One of Putin's beliefs is that same-sex marriage is a form of satanic worship. And he approved an anti-gay law.

Webcomic Based on Putin

There is a webcomic called Super Putin based on Putin, where he is portrayed as a superhero. It was started in 2011, in which he rushed to rescue a bus threatened by an Al-Qaeda bomb.

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Private About His Daughters

Vladimir Putin has two daughters and anyone barely knows anything about the details and whereabouts of his daughters. Putin did everything in his power to hide his daughters from the media. The education of the two daughters, their travels were all very secretive and very secure. In college, they were known by pseudonyms. Even the address of residence was completely unknown. Maria and Catherine are still virtually in a state of privacy.

He loves the Beatles

Putin loves the Beatles. British photographer Platon took Putin’s portrait for Time Magazine’s person of the year in 2007. During that time, Platon stated that he is a big fan of the Beatles and asked Putin if he likes the Beatles. Then Putin replied that he loves Beatles and ‘Yesterday’ was his favourite song

Owns A Palace in A Forest

Putin has a palace located on the coast of the Black Sea in Krasnodar Krai, Russia. Nicknamed ‘Putin’s Palace,’ it is an Italianate palace complex. The area is nearly 18,000m² and contains the main house, a greenhouse, an arboretum, a helipad, a church, an ice palace, a guest house, an Amphitheatre, an 80-metre bridge, a fuel station, and a special tunnel inside the mountain.

Nominated For Nobel Peace Prize Twice 

Putin convinced Assad that he would surrender Syria's armaments peacefully instead of opting for a more enforced solution, likely as a result of his friendship with Assad. For this, he was consequently nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014.

He was later nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2021. However, the Russian govt did not submit for the nomination, but Russian writer and public figure Sergey Komkov submitted for the nomination.

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Final Words

In conclusion, Russian President Vladimir Putin is an interesting and complex individual with a long and varied history. While he is often in the news for his aggressive actions, there is more to him than meets the eye. Hopefully, this article has given you a better understanding of the Russian president and his motivations.