1. Aim: Describe Russia under Vladimir Putin

2. Who is Vladimir Putin Born 1952
Worked for 15 years as intelligence officer in the KGB
Committee for State Security
1990, Putin retired from KGB with the rank of lieutenant colonel
1996, joined presidential staff
Yeltsin appointed Putin prime minister
1999, Putin appointed acting president
2000 & 2004, Putin won election as president 2

3. Putin Struggles with Chechnya
Putin’s war in Chechnya helped draw terrorism into the Russian capital itself
October 2002, Chechens seized a theater in Moscow
More than 150 people died in the rescue attempt
Putin moved to suppress his critics
As of 2010, the rebels had been largely quieted 3

4. Economic, Political, & Social Problems
Since collapse of Soviet Union, Russia has seen growth in homelessness, domestic violence, & unemployment
There is also a decrease in life expectancy
Russia has been moving towards greater participation in world trade by modernizing banking, insurance, & tax codes 4