What the world leaders looked like and did in their youth

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

Even the mighty of this world were once ordinary girls and guys who dream of conquering new peaks, standing at a crossroads, looking for their own way, adoring to have fun and have a good time. Looking at their serious faces and personable appearance now, you cannot immediately say that once they could not even think that they would shoulder the responsibility for the fate of their own countries and peoples. Well, it will be all the more interesting to look at the pictures from the “before and after” series in order to understand that time has no power. Today you have the opportunity to see photos of world leaders before they took place in life.

Dmitry Medvedev, President of Russia in 2008-2012

Dmitry Medvedev was president of Russia from 2008 to 2012. And now he plays an important role in the political life of the country, since January holding the post of Deputy Chairman of the Security Council of the Russian Federation.

But once a young man who is fond of rock music did not dare to think about taking the helm of a huge state: he was born and lived in Leningrad, graduated from law school here, loved sports and, wanting to earn a living, worked as a janitor. After receiving higher education, Medvedev got a job as a teacher at a university, and then worked in the mayor's office of his hometown. In 1999 he moved to Moscow, and since then his political career has taken off.

Vladimir Putin, President of Russia

Remembering Medvedev, one cannot fail to mention Vladimir Putin, who has been running the country for 20 years with interruptions - there are similar moments in the biographies of politicians. The current president of Russia was also born in Leningrad, he also studied at the same university as a lawyer. It was during his student years that he met his future (already former) wife Lyudmila. However, the family of the future president could hardly make ends meet and lived in a communal apartment.

After graduation, Vladimir Vladimirovich worked in the KGB, lived in Germany for several years, and in the early 90s returned to Russia and got a job as a teacher at the same university as Medvedev.

Boris Yeltsin, President of Russia 1991-1999

The late President of Russia was born in the village of Butka, Sverdlovsk Region, into an ordinary working-class family. From childhood, he was distinguished by his freedom-loving character and a penchant for adventures. So, one day Yeltsin decided to travel around the country. And the lack of money did not bother him: the future leader traveled by trains and trucks and managed to visit many large cities in 3 months.

Boris Nikolayevich studied to be a civil engineer at the Ural Polytechnic Institute, was fond of volleyball, received the title of master of sports and even coached the women's team.

Yeltsin did not immediately become interested in politics, he began his career as a simple worker at a factory, then rose to the rank of foreman, site manager, foreman, chief engineer and director. In 1963, he became a deputy of the Kirovsky district of Sverdlovsk, and you already know what came of it.

Nursultan Nazarbayev, President of Kazakhstan in 1990-2019

Nursultan Nazarbayev has been at the helm of his country for almost 30 years. But it is unlikely that a young man who was born in a simple working-class family could dream that someday the responsibility for the fate of his native state would ever fall on his shoulders. Moreover, his childhood years fell on the difficult war and post-war years.

As a child, the future president loved to read books, was fond of sports and was a leader among his peers. In his youth, he chose the profession of a metallurgist and helped his parents with money, who were raising their younger children. Soon, the ambitious guy was elected secretary of the party committee at the plant in which he worked. And later, Nazarbayev was entrusted with the post of secretary of the Central Committee of the country's communist party.

Barack Obama, US President 2009-2017

The childhood of the future leader of America was spent in the Hawaiian Islands. Although he studied at a prestigious private school, in his autobiography he admitted that he was not averse to having good fun: there were alcohol, weed and drugs more serious in his life. However, Obama realized in time that such leisure would not lead to anything good. Therefore, he soon moved to Los Angeles, graduated, becoming a specialist in international relations, and began to build a political career.

Donald Trump, President of the United States

Obama's successor, even before his presidency, could boast of being one of the most influential and richest people in the United States. However, it cannot be said that he got the money easily.

As a child, Trump was an energetic and self-confident child, so he was transferred to a school with a military bias. And it worked: the future president was one of the leaders of the educational institution, played football and baseball (and even was the team captain). After leaving school, Donald initially wanted to become an actor, but then decided that real estate was a more profitable business and therefore entered the Wharton School of Business. After graduation, he first worked for his father's company, and then opened his own business.

Alexander Lukashenko, President of the Republic of Belarus

Lukashenka is also one of those who, born in a simple poor family, managed to achieve great success. He never saw his father, and his mother was forced to work as a milkmaid. The diligent young man studied well at school, played the button accordion and loved sports. He was educated at the Moscow Pedagogical Institute and became a certified teacher of history and social studies. Returning to his native Belarus, Alexander Grigorievich soon became the director of one of the state farms, and then - a people's deputy of the Supreme Soviet of his country.

Angela Merkel, Federal Chancellor of Germany

Merkel is the eldest child in the family of the head of the college for pastors and a teacher of foreign languages. Studying for the future chancellor was easy, but most of all she loved exact sciences. Therefore, after school, she decided to become a physicist, enrolling in the University of Leipzig. The success of a diligent student can be judged at least by the fact that in the future she was able to defend her doctoral dissertation. For some time, Angel worked at the Academy of Sciences of the GDR, and in the late 80s began a political career.