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Where to serve?

Speaking about his attitude to the Armed Forces,Russian President Vladimir Putin always emphasizes that he was born and grew up in a family of a veteran. That is why it simply can not disrespect the army of its country, not help it in all possible ways. In an interview Putin admits that he, like many other boys, dreamed of becoming a soldier from childhood, mentally trying on shoulder straps, then the pilot, the sailor. He stopped, after all, in a career as a scout.

The military servicemen at the time wereseveral well-known Russian politicians and top officials of the country. Among them - Gennady Zyuganov, Mikhail Kasyanov, Dmitry Kozak, Sergei Mironov, Vladislav Surkov, Igor Shuvalov.

For the sake of the dream, yesterday's schoolboy did notwas even afraid to come to the reception room of the Leningrad KGB Directorate and inquire about the possibility of getting into the security services. But he received an answer that before that it was necessary to serve in the Soviet Army for at least two years. Another possible option for a 17-year-old boy was entering the university with a military department, training lawyers or other specialists in demand at the State Security Committee.

From university to school

The KGB officer offered a simple choice for the futurethe head of this department did in favor of studies. In 1970, Vladimir entered the law faculty of the Leningrad University. And five years later the young lawyer was admitted to the secretariat of the local KGB Directorate, becoming a lieutenant of state security. That, in principle, it is quite possible to consider the beginning of active military service. In state security bodies, the graduate of the university worked for 15 years. Having managed to graduate from the Higher School of the State Security Committee in Moscow and to learn in practice the difficulties in counterintelligence and intelligence work. Including in the most secret unit - the SVR, the Foreign Intelligence Service, which operated outside the Soviet Union, around the world.

Putin and Dresden

Caught, as he dreamed in his childhood,professional scout, Vladimir Putin continued his military education. Having graduated from the Red Banner Institute named after one of his predecessors at the post of the head of the KGB, Yuri Andropov, he, as a knowledgeable German language, received in 1985 a direction in the GDR. The new location of Vladimir Putin's activity was the so-called intelligence point located in Dresden.

In the German Democratic Republic, an officerSoviet counterintelligence Vladimir Putin twice promoted. What was considered in such a serious organization as the USSR State Security Committee, the analogue of the assessment is "excellent."

For five years, spent in East Germany,counterintelligence officer Putin proved himself so well that he received the rank of lieutenant colonel, the post of deputy head of the department, and was also awarded a military medal "For outstanding service to the National People's Army of the GDR." The next "servile" turn of the career of officer Putin began already in Russian times.

Director of the FSB

In July 1998, Vladimir Putin, by that timeone of the leaders of the administration of St. Petersburg, received from President Boris Yeltsin an offer to head the native department. By that time, once again renamed - the FSB, the Federal Security Service. A little later he became secretary of the country's Security Council. However, for a long time it was in the FSB that Colonel Putin did not stay. In August of the following year he was appointed chairman of the Russian government. On the last day of 98th Putin became acting president. Finally, on March 26, 2000, he was first elected head of state. Simultaneously, he received the accompanying post of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, the Armed Forces of the country.

The only one of the four SupremeCommander-in-Chief of the Russian Armed Forces, who served in the army, Viktor Chernomyrdin. In the late 1950s, he was an aerodrome technician in one of the Air Force units for three years. Boris Yeltsin and Dmitry Medvedev escaped the call.

Their head is Vladimir Vladimirovich, who left inresignation in the rank of Colonel GB, was even twice. The first time he held this post until May 7, 2008. The second time he became commander-in-chief of the entire Russian army exactly four years later.