Vladimir Putin was a KGB agent in the United Soviet Socialist Republic (USSR) when the Berlin Wall fell in 1989. Soon, his country would also become a thing of the past. The fifteen republics that comprised the USSR became independent nations in 1991. Putin became the prime minister of Russia, the largest of these nations in both land area and population. A year later, he was elected president. Since this time, Putin has become one of the most talked-about leaders in history. Part of the World Leaders series, Vladimir Putin, President of Russia discusses how Putin rose to the Russian presidency and what he has done with the enormous power he holds.