Vladimir Putin was born in Saint Petersburg.
Saint Petersburg . In 1914 , the name was changed from Saint Petersburg to Petrograd ( [ Петрогра́д , p =p ʲɪtrɐˈgrat ] ) , in 1924 to Leningrad ( [ Ленингра́д , p = lʲɪnʲɪnˈgrat ] ) , and in 1991 back to Saint Petersburg . Vladimir Putin . Born in Leningrad ( now Saint Petersburg ) , Putin studied German in high school and speaks the language fluently .