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Putin's Extraordinary Path From Soviet Slums To The World's Stage

Elena HolodnyDec 24, 2014, 17:55 IST

Vladimir Putin may be the wild card in world affairs right now, but he didn't gain that influence overnight.

The Russian President's ascension to power is filled with spies, armed conflicts, oligarchs, oil and (of course) judo.

So here's how a one-time "nobody" climbed up the ranks to become the "World's Most Powerful Person."