These Photos Of Young Vladimir Putin Give A Rarely Seen Look At Russia's Leader

These Photos Of Young Putin Give A Rarely Seen Look At Russia's Leader

The sometimes shirtless, usually serious image of Russian President Vladimir Putin is a ubiquitous sight in international politics. As one of the most powerful men in the world, Putin has long tried to cultivate a public persona that projects strength, and the result has been an endless procession of photo ops that show the ex-KGB officer performing some kind of masculine feat while he holds a steely look.

Though it seems he's always had that glare, the photos below of Putin as a fresh-faced youth stand in stark juxtaposition to his current image. Of course, even the most notorious of public figures have to go through their formative years, but it's still a bit bizarre to see what Russia's leader looked like as a young troublemaker.

The WorldPost presents a brief glimpse into the childhood of Vladimir Putin:

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A class photo of Vladimir Putin, dated 1960, in St. Petersburg, Russia.
Laksi Diffusion / Getty Images
A class photo with Vladimir Putin, dated 1966, in St. Petersburg, Russia.
Laksi Diffusion / Getty Images
A class photo with Vladimir Putin (first row, third from right), dated 1964-65, in Russia.
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Vladimir Putin in Saint Petersburg, Russia, 1970.
Laksi Diffusion / Getty Images
Vladimir Putin, right, dances with his classmate Elena during a party in St. Petersburg, Russia, 1970.
Laksi Diffusion / Getty Images
Vladimir Putin, bottom, wrestles with a classmate at the St. Petersburg Sportschool in 1971.

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