A NEW history textbook ordered by President Putin for every Russian schoolchild has been attacked as a distortion of history.

Critics said it appeared to be a fresh attempt to rehabilitate the country's Soviet past. Detailed guidelines for the new standardised work were approved by the Russian Historical Society two weeks ago and are now awaiting endorsement from the Kremlin. Vladimir Ryzhkov, a historian, radio host and liberal politician, denounced the project as something that "could have been written by the Ministry of Truth in George Orwell's classic 1984". From the 80 pages of guidelines, Mr Ryzhkov said, it was clear that the new textbook was "highly politicised and grossly distorts the historical facts. Like the textbooks tailored to serve the interests of the Tsar and Soviet leaders, the new textbook furthers the interests of Putin and his inner circle". The authors of the guidelines write: "During his first and second presidential terms, Vladimir Putin managed to stabilise the situation in the country after the chaos of the 1990s and strengthen the 'vertical of power'"- a euphemism for unquestioned centralised control. His return to the presidency in 2012, which triggered the largest street protests in Russia since the Soviet period, is praised for providing "continuity of rule". There is no mention of those protests, nor of the 2004 Beslan attack or the national trauma of the sinking of the Kursk submarine in 2000. The guidelines fail to mention Stalin's pact with Nazi Germany before the Second World War and present the deaths of millions of people in famines, war and purges as the necessary cost of "Stalinist socialism". The strengths and achievements of the Soviet Union are emphasised, but there is little explanation for its rapid collapse in 1991. Further back, the vindictive, violent reign of Ivan the Terrible is praised as a period of reforms, while the immense human cost of Peter the Great's "modernisation" goes unmentioned.

Mark Von Hagen, a historian specialising in Russia and Ukraine at Arizona State University in the US, said: "Putin's blessing of any national high school project will mark a new version of old Soviet imperial practice." Dmitri Peskov, Mr Putin's spokesman, denied accusations that the textbook was designed to burnish Mr Putin's reputation and use the past to justify his authoritarian approach. "One cannot rewrite history," he said. "On the contrary, we consistently stand against attempts to falsify the history." Mr Putin said in February he wanted to clear up the "absolutely unacceptable" confusion spread by the use of 65 different history textbooks in schools. The new book, which is expected to be ready next year, will cover a period of more than 1,000 years from Ancient Rus, the cradle of Russian civilisation, to 2012. It identifies 20 "difficult questions", including the political situation so far this century, how to interpret Stalin's rule, the high cost of victory in the Second World War, the dissident movement against Leonid Brezhnev and the collapse of the Soviet Union. Andrei Petrov, the executive secretary of the Historical Society, said that the guidelines were not biased and did not skirt subjects that could portray Mr Putin in an awkward light. "We have named difficult issues that should be explained from various points of view," he said. "Otherwise we would just be lying to our children." - See more at: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/world/putin-writes-history-out-oftextbooks/story-fnb64oi6-1226764313344#sthash.VRiZ4iMK.dpuf

This year's snapshot of power puts the Russian President on top. Putin has solidified his control over Russia and anyone watching the chess match over Syria has a clear idea of the shift in the power towards Putin on the global stage. The ex-KGB strongman--who controls a nuclear-tipped army, a permanent seat on the UN Security Council and some of the

world's largest oil and gas reserves--is allowed to serve another six-year term, which could keep him in office until 2024. Quick Facts

NAME: Vladimir Putin OCCUPATION: World Leader, Prime Minister BIRTH DATE: October 07, 1952 (Age: 61) EDUCATION: Leningrad State University PLACE OF BIRTH: Leningrad, Russia Full Name: Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin AKA: Vladimir Putin ZODIAC SIGN: Libra

Best Known For Vladimir Putin served as president of Russia from 2000 to 2008, and was re-elected to the presidency in 2012. He previously served as Russia's prime minister.

Vladimir Putin biography Synopsis In 1999, Russian president Boris Yeltsin dismissed his prime minister and promoted former KGB officer Vladimir Putin in his place. In December 1999, Yeltsin resigned, appointing Putin president, and he was re-elected in 2004. In April 2005, he made a historic visit to Israelthe first visit there by any Kremlin leader. Putin could not run for the presidency again in 2008, but was appointed prime minister by his successor, Dmitry Medvedev. Putin was re-elected to the presidency in March 2012. Early Political Career

Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin was born in Leningrad (now St. Petersburg), Russia, on October 7, 1952. After graduating from Leningrad State University in 1975, he began his career in the KGB as an intelligence officer. Stationed mainly in East Germany, he held that position until 1989. Following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, Putin retired from the KGB with the rank of colonel, and returned to Leningrad as a supporter of Anatoly Sobchak (1937-2000), a liberal politician. After Sobchak won election as mayor of Leningrad (1991), Putin became his head of external relations; in 1994, Putin became Sobchak's first deputy mayor. After Sobchak's defeat in 1996, Putin resigned his post and moved to Moscow. In 1998, Putin was appointed deputy head of management under Boris Yeltsin's presidential administration. In that position, he was in charge of the Kremlin's relations with the regional governments. Shortly afterward, Putin was appointed head of the Federal Security, an arm of the former KGB, as well as head of Yeltsin's Security Council. In August 1999, Yeltsin dismissed his then-prime minister Sergey Stapashin, along with his cabinet, and promoted Putin in his place. President of Russia: 1st and 2nd Terms In December 1999, Boris Yeltsin resigned as president of Russia and appointed Putin acting president until official elections were held (in early 2000). In September 2001, in response to the terrorist attacks on the United States, he announced Russia's stance as a U.S. ally. Soon after, however, he announced his oppositionalong with the French and German governmentsto the U.S. "war on terror," which focused on ridding Iraq of its then-leader, Saddam Hussein. Putin was re-elected to the presidency in 2004. In April 2005, he made a historic visit to Israel for talks with Prime Minister Ariel Sharonmarking the first visit to Israel by any Kremlin leader.

Due to term limits, Putin could not run for the presidency again in 2008. (That same year, presidential terms in Russia were extended from four to six years.) When his protg Dmitry Medvedev succeeded him as president in March 2008, Putin secured the post of Russia's prime minister, continuing his position among the top Russian leadership after eight years at the helm. It wouldn't be long before Putin was back at the helm, however. Third Term as President On March 4, 2012, Vladimir Putin was re-elected to the presidency, and he was inaugurated to his third term as Russia's president on May 7, 2012. Soon after taking office, he nominated Medvedev as prime minister. In December 2012, Putin signed into a law a ban on the U.S. adoption of Russian children. According to Putin, the legislationtaking effect on January 1, 2013aims to make it easier for Russians to adopt native orphans. The adoption ban has spurred international controversy, reportedly leaving nearly 50 Russian childrenwho were in the final phases of adoption with U.S. citizens at the time that Putin signed the lawin legal limbo. Putin further strained relations with the United States the following year. U.S. President Barack Obama canceled a meeting with Putin that August. Obama called off his visit to Russia in reaction to Putin granting asylum to Edward Snowden. Snowden is wanted by the United States for leaking classified information from the National Security Agency. Around this time, Putin also upset many people with his new anti-gay laws. He has made it illegal for gay couples to adopt in Russia and has placed a ban on propagandizing "nontraditional" sexual relationships to minors. There have been calls to boycott the upcoming Winter Olympics to be held Sochi, Russia, because of Putin's violations of human rights. Chemical Weapons in Syria In September of 2013, tension rose between the U.S. and Syria in regards to Syria's possession of chemical weapons, resulting in the U.S. threatening to strike Syria if their

weapons weren't relinquished. It was later announced that the U.S. would refrain from attacking Syria due to the cooperation of Russia and China, amongst other nations, to come up with an agreement to get Syria to release its chemical weapons. On September 11, 2013, Putin released an op-ed piece entitled "A Plea for Caution From Russia," via The New York Times. In the article, Putin spoke directly to the U.S.'s position in taking action against Syria. He stated that by the U.S. striking Syria, despite the disapproval of several other nations, violence and unrest in the Middle East could potentially escalate. Putin went on to write that the U.S.'s intention to strike Syria under the claim that Bashar al-Assad used the chemical weapons on civilians might be misplaced, with the more likely explanation being the unauthorized use of the weapons by Syrian rebels. He closed the piece by welcoming the continuation of an open dialogue between the involved nations to avoid further conflict in the Middle East. Personal Life In 1980, Putin met his future wife, Lyudmila, who was working as a flight attendant at the time. The couple married in 1983 and had two daughters: Maria, born in 1985, and Yekaterina, born in 1986. In early June 2013, after nearly 30 years of marriage, Russia's first couple announced that they were getting a divorce, providing little explanation for the decision, but assuring that they came to it mutually and amicably. "There are people who just cannot put up with it," Putin stated. "Lyudmila Alexandrovna has stood watch for eight, almost nine years." Providing more context to the decision, Lyudmila added, "Our marriage is over because we hardly ever see each other. Vladimir Vladimirovich is immersed in his work, our children have grown and are living their own lives." An Orthodox Christian, Putin is open about his faith.

How to Cite this Page: Vladimir Putin APA Style Vladimir Putin. (2013). The Biography Channel website. Retrieved 05:29, Nov 20, 2013, from http://www.biography.com/people/vladimir-putin-9448807. Harvard Style Vladimir Putin. [Internet]. 2013. The Biography Channel website. Available from: http://www.biography.com/people/vladimir-putin-9448807 [Accessed 20 Nov 2013]. MLA Style "Vladimir Putin." 2013. The Biography Channel website. Nov 20 2013, 05:29 http://www.biography.com/people/vladimir-putin-9448807. MHRA Style "Vladimir Putin," The Biography Channel website, 2013,

http://www.biography.com/people/vladimir-putin-9448807 [accessed Nov 20, 2013]. Chicago Style "Vladimir Putin," The Biography Channel website,

http://www.biography.com/people/vladimir-putin-9448807 (accessed Nov 20, 2013). CBE/CSE Style Vladimir Putin [Internet]. The Biography Channel website; 2013 [cited 2013 Nov 20] Available from: http://www.biography.com/people/vladimir-putin-9448807. Bluebook Style

Vladimir Putin, http://www.biography.com/people/vladimir-putin-9448807 (last visited Nov 20, 2013). AMA Style Vladimir Putin. The Biography Channel website. 2013. Available at:

http://www.biography.com/people/vladimir-putin-9448807. Accessed Nov 20, 2013. Vladimir Putin, in full Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin (born October 7, 1952, Leningrad, Russia, U.S.S.R. [now St. Petersburg, Russia]), Russian intelligence officer and politician who served as president (19992008, 2012 ) of Russia and also was the countrys prime minister (1999, 200812).

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Putin studied law at Leningrad State University, where his tutor was Anatoly Sobchak, later one of the leading reform politicians of the perestroika period. Putin served 15 years as a foreign intelligence officer for the KGB (Committee for State Security), including six years in Dresden, East Germany. In 1990 he retired from active KGB service with the rank of lieutenant colonel and returned to Russia to become prorector of Leningrad State University with responsibility for the institutions external relations. Soon afterward Putin became an adviser to Sobchak, the first democratically elected mayor of St. Petersburg. He quickly won Sobchaks confidence and became known for his ability to get things done; by 1994 he had risen to the post of first deputy mayor. In 1996 Putin moved to Moscow, where he joined the presidential staff as deputy to Pavel Borodin, the Kremlins chief administrator. Putin grew close to fellow Leningrader Anatoly Chubais and moved up in administrative positions. In July 1998 Pres. Boris Yeltsin made Putin director of the Federal Security Service (the KGBs domestic successor), and shortly thereafter he became secretary of the influential Security Council. Yeltsin, who was searching for an heir to assume his mantle, appointed Putin prime minister in 1999. Although he was virtually unknown, Putins public-approval ratings soared when he launched a well-organized military operation against secessionist rebels in Chechnya. Wearied by years of Yeltsins erratic behaviour, the Russian public appreciated Putins coolness and decisiveness under pressure. Putins support for a new electoral bloc, Unity, ensured its success in the December parliamentary elections. On December 31, 1999, Yeltsin unexpectedly announced his resignation and named Putin acting president. Promising to rebuild a weakened Russia, the austere and reserved Putin

easily won the March 2000 elections with about 53 percent of the vote. As president, he sought to end corruption and create a strongly regulated market economy.

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Putin quickly reasserted control over Russias 89 regions and republics, dividing them into seven new federal districts, each headed by a representative appointed by the president. He also removed the right of regional governors to sit in the Federation Council, the upper house of the Russian parliament. Putin moved to reduce the power of Russias unpopular financiers and media tycoonsthe so-called oligarchsby closing several media outlets and launching criminal proceedings against numerous leading figures. He faced a difficult situation in Chechnya, particularly from rebels who staged terrorist attacks in Moscow and guerilla attacks on Russian troops from the regions mountains; in 2002 Putin declared the military campaign over, but casualties remained high. Putin strongly objected to U.S. Pres. George W. Bushs decision in 2001 to abandon the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty. In response to the September 11 attacks on the United States in 2001, he pledged Russias assistance and cooperation in the U.S. -led campaign against terrorists and their allies, offering the use of Russias airspace for humanitarian deliveries and help in search-and-rescue operations. Nevertheless, Putin joined German

Chancellor Gerhard Schrder and French Pres. Jacques Chirac in 200203 to oppose U.S. and British plans to use force to oust addm usseins government in Iraq. Overseeing an economy that enjoyed growth after a prolonged recession in the 1990s, Putin was easily reelected in March 2004. In parliamentary elections in December 2007, Putins party, United Russia, won an overwhelming majority of seats. Though the fairness of the elections was questioned by international observers and by the Communist Party of the Russian Federation, the results nonetheless affirmed Putins power. With a constitutional provision forcing Putin to step down in 2008, he chose Dmitry Medvedev as his successor. Soon after Medvedev won the March 2008 presidential election by a landslide, Putin announced that he had accepted the position of chairman of the United Russia party. Confirming widespread expectations, Medvedev nominated Putin as the countrys prime minister within hours of taking office on May 7, 2008. Russias parliament confirmed the appointment the following day. Although Medvedev grew more assertive as his term progressed, Putin was still regarded as the main power within the Kremlin. While some speculated that Medvedev might run for a second term, he announced in September 2011 that he and Putin wouldpending a United Russia victory at the polls trade positions. Widespread irregularities in parliamentary elections in December 2011 triggered a wave of popular protest, and Putin faced a surprisingly strong opposition movement in the presidential race. On March 4, 2012, however, Putin was elected to a third term as Russias president. In advance of his inauguration, Putin resigned as United Russia chairman, handing control of the party to Medvedev. He was inaugurated as president on May 7, 2012, and one of his first acts upon assuming office was to nominate Medvedev to serve as prime minister. Putins first year back in office as president was characterized by a largely successful effort to stifle the protest movement. Opposition leaders were jailed, and nongovernmental organizations that received funding from abroad were labeled as foreign agents. Tensions with the United States flared in June 2013, when U.S. National Security Agency (NSA)

contractor Edward Snowden sought refuge in Russia after revealing the existence of a number of secret NSA programs. Snowden was allowed to remain in Russia on the condition that, in the words of Putin, he stop bringing harm to our American partners. After chemical weapons attacks outside Damascus in August 2013, the U.S. made the case for military intervention in the Syrian Civil War. In an editorial published in The New York Times, Putin urged restraint, and U.S. and Russian officials brokered a deal whereby Syrias chemical weapons supply would be destroyed.