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'He is an introvert – a man of deeds, not words': How Vladimir Putin rose to power in Russia
In History | In History
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When Vladimir Putin took over as acting president of Russia at the start of the year 2000, the former spy was an enigma to many.
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In History looks at how the surprise leader survived a tough childhood to rise to power in the Kremlin.
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Russian president Boris Yeltsin made the shock announcement on 31 December 1999 that he was resigning, telling television viewers that Russia needed "new politicians, new faces, new intelligent, strong and energetic people".
Amid widespread corruption and huge political and social problems, Yeltsin's presidency had become increasingly unpopular and unpredictable. While he played a key role in bringing down the Soviet Union in 1991, his time in office had been a traumatic period for Russia as it transformed from a communist state-run economy to a free-market one.
At midnight, Yeltsin'