The collapse of the Soviet Union three decades ago destroyed "Russia in the historical sense" — in a latest documentary, Russian President Vladimir Putin lamented. At the same time, Putin also revealed that after the dissolution, Russia suffered a serious economic crisis, and he had to make a living by working part-time as a "black car" driver. Some analysts believe that Putin's comment may further exacerbate speculation about his foreign policy intentions, with critics accusing Putin of planning to rebuild the Soviet Union and considering an invasion of Ukraine, which the Kremlin believes is creating fear.
Earn extra money by driving a "black car"
"This is the disintegration of Russia in the name of the Soviet Union in the historical sense." Putin commented in a documentary called "Russia: A New History." Putin said the collapse of the Soviet Union had "turned Russia into a completely different country" and that until now it remained a "tragedy" for "most citizens."
In the transition from communism to capitalism, Russia experienced a period of intense economic instability, with inflation in the double digits and many people plunging into poverty as a result. At that time, Putin was not spared, and in order to support his family, he worked part-time as a "black car" driver. "Our lives are the same as everyone else's, but sometimes I have to make some extra money by driving a 'black car,'" Putin said, "to be honest, it's not pleasant, but unfortunately, that's how it goes." ”
In early 1990, Putin, who had just returned from East Germany, had been struggling for his livelihood for the first few months, using a volga car he had brought back from his KGB post in Dresden. In May of that year, Putin was hired by his future mentor, Anatoly Sobchak, as an aide to the Leningrad City Council. During this time, Putin remained employed by the KGB until the attempted coup against Gorbachev in August 1991.
Putin working in Dresden.
In the past, many cities in Russia could get a ride on a "black car", but in the past decade, with the development of taxi companies and the emergence of ride-sharing software, such a way of travel has become less popular.
"The Greatest Geopolitical Catastrophe of the 20th Century"
As a loyal servant of the Soviet Union, Putin was frustrated by the collapse of the Soviet Union, calling it "the greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the 20th century." Putin is sensitive to the expansion of Western military power into former Soviet states, and Russia this week demanded that NATO formally undo its 2008 decision to invite Georgia and Ukraine to join.
Ukraine is one of the 15 republics of the Soviet Union, and Putin published a lengthy article on his official website this year explaining why he considers Ukraine and its people to be part of Russia's history and culture. Ukraine has denied this view, arguing that the history on which it relies is oversimplified and suspected of being politically motivated.
Western countries have accused Russia of massing forces on the Ukrainian border in preparation for a possible offensive in January. On Sunday, the Group of Seven warned that it would face serious economic consequences if Russia invaded Ukraine. Russia says it has no intention of launching a new offensive against Ukraine, and Western countries seem to believe in Russia's plans to prepare for an invasion because of false reports in the Western media.
Russia annexed Ukraine's Crimean region in 2014 and backed separatists fighting government forces, who in the same year took control of large swathes of eastern Ukraine.
National leaders were also workers
Putin's experience of "driving a black car" quickly made headlines after it was exposed, but Putin is not the only national leader who has had "extraordinary" work experience.
According to a speech by Bishop Richard Chartes of London at his funeral in 2013, former British Prime Minister Thatcher was a member of the cone ice cream development team. Some have questioned this claim, but New Scientist confirmed it in a 1983 report that Thatcher had developed ice cream emulsifiers at Joe Lyon between 1949 and 1951.
Margaret Thatcher in the lab.
Before becoming president of the United States, Reagan was a Hollywood B-movie actor. In the 1930s and 1940s, he worked with some of the real big names, the most famous of which was the 1942 film Kings Row. After the outbreak of World War II, Reagan stopped his acting career due to military service and began to participate more in political activities. When he was elected to the White House in 1980, he finally played the biggest role of his life.
Actor Reagan.
Liberia's current president, George Weah, was a footballer before entering politics, playing for clubs in France, Italy and England for 14 years. In 1998, Wea signed for Monaco for the first time, then moved to Paris Saint-Germain in 1992 and won the Ligue 1 title in 1994. In the same year, he also became the top scorer in the UEFA Champions League. Prior to moving to the Premier League for Chelsea and Manchester City, Wea spent four years for AC Milan.
Football star Via.
To support himself in college, Slovenian President Borut Pahor worked as a male model for a while. Pahor's origins were very ordinary, his father died when he was very young, and his mother was a survivor of the Nazi concentration camps and single-handedly raised Pahor.
Pahor.
News and image source: BBC, CNN, Al Jazeera, The Independent, The Guardian
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