He was born on October 7, 1952 in Leningrad. About himself told that the child enjoyed tinkering with the films of the Soviet intelligence, dreamed of working in state security. Putin's father, Vladimir Spiridonovich Putin, has been a party to the war, working in the factory. The mother, Maria Ivanovna Shelomova also worked at the factory, survived the siege of Leningrad. Putin's parents were baptized in Turginovo Tver Region in 1911. Vladimir was the third son in the family, two older brothers, born back in the 30th years, died in childhood. Working family lived in communal apartment in Leningrad.
In 1970, joined the international department faculty Leningrad State University named Zhdanov (LGU). In LGU Vladimir joined the CPSU (to be a member of the party until its dispersal in 1991. In 1975, and graduated from the Faculty of Law of the international department of Leningrad State University (one of his teachers was Anatoly Sobchak), the topic of diplom - "the most favorable nation principle in international law ".