10 interesting facts about Vladimir Putin

New Delhi: Russian president Vladimir Putin has been at the centre of Russian politics for over a decade.One of the founders of his party United Russia, the former KGB commando has been ruling Russia since the downfall of Boris Yeltsin.Putin served as PM from 1999 to 2000, and from 2000 till 2008 as President for two terms. He again became PM from 2008 to 2012, and from May, 2012, he again took over the reins of President. Here are some interesting facts to know about Vladimir Putin: 1. He was a rowdy child and took great interest in martial arts when he was in sixth grade, probably to crush dissent among his classmates. 2. As a child, Putin was reportedly a thug. Putin likes to say he was a “bully, not a pioneer. 3. He grew up in a shared apartment in Leningrad, now St Petersburg, the Russian city ravaged by World War Two. 4. He graduated from Leningrad State University in 1975 5. After graduation he joined the KGB .as an intelligence officer. Stationed mainly in East Germany, he held that position until 1989. 6. Putin's life at the KGB was pretty uninteresting. he was a spy. 7. In 1994, Putin became Sobchak's first deputy mayor. 8. In April 2005, he made a historic visit to Israel for talks with Prime Minister Ariel Sharon—marking the first visit to Israel by any Kremlin leader. 9. Vladimir Putin plays different kind of sports; he pulls the novelty and the desire to instill an interest in Russian citizens' active lifestyle. 10. Vladimir Putin was named Time magazine's “Person of the Year” for 2007 for bringing stability and renewed status to his country.