Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin (born October 7, 1952) is the current president of Russia, holding this post since May 7, 2012. He was prime minister from 1999 to 2000, president from 2000 to 2008, and again prime minister. Minister from 2008 to 2012. For 16 years, Putin worked as a KGB foreign intelligence officer, rising to the rank of lieutenant colonel, and in 1991 resigned to engage in politics. in St. Petersburg. He moved to Moscow in 1996 and joined the administration of President Boris Yeltsin, quickly ascending the ranks and becoming acting president on December 31, 1999, when Yeltsin resigned. Putin won the 2000 presidential election with a margin of 53% to 30%, which allowed him to avoid re-elections with his opponent from the Communist Party of the Russian Federation Gennady Zyuganov. He was re-elected president in 2004 with 72% of the vote. During Putin's first presidency, the Russian economy grew eight consecutive years, and GDP, measured in purchasing power, increased by 72%. The growth was due to the commodity boom of the 2000s, high oil prices and cautious economic and fiscal policies. Due to constitutionally limited terms of office, Putin did not have the right to run for a third presidential term in a row in 2008. The 2008 presidential election was won by Dmitry Medvedev, who appointed Putin as prime minister, and began the so-called “tandem democracy” period. In September 2011, after extending the presidential term from four to six years, Putin announced that he would seek a third term as president. Throughout his career, Putin has enjoyed high approval ratings at the national level and received wide international attention as one of the most influential world leaders.