Vladimir Putin was born in Russia.
Saint Petersburg ( [ Санкт-Петербу ́рг , a = Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg , r = Sankt-Peterburg , p = ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk ] ) is Russia 's second-largest city after Moscow , with five million inhabitants in 2012 , and an important Russian port on the Baltic Sea . Vladimir Putin . Born in Leningrad ( now Saint Petersburg ) , Putin studied German in high school and speaks the language fluently .