Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin was born October, 7, 1952, in Lenigrad, Russia, which is now St. Petersburg. In the early years of the life of Vladimir, he and his parents lived in a communal home with two other families. Vladimir Putin was the only child. It is said that his mother had Vladimir secretly baptized at the Orthodox church. She passed away in 1998. Vladimir Putin continues to be a practicing Christian to date. Vladimir also took martial arts classes as a child, where he specialized in the sambo technique. One of the academic interests of Vladimir Putin while in high school was chemistry. He later gained a particular interest in biology and the liberal arts. His high school years also consisted of being a DJ at the school radio station, in which he had a special focus in the tunes of the Western rock bands. Vladimir Putin had attended Lenigrad State University. It was there that he had also excelled with his martial arts. Vladimir was the university’s champion of judo during his time on campus in the early 1970s. Vladimir went on to earn his doctorate degree in economics. His father once worked at a metal factory, and was a war veteran. His father passed away in 1999. This was a significant time in the life of Vladimir Putin because this was also the time in which he was appointed as the Prime Minister of Russia.