Putin himself is a car enthusiast. In an interview, his wife Lyudmila joked that Putin is only willing to spend money on two things in his life: one is to raise two daughters, and the other is to buy a car. There are many classic cars in his private garage, which he named "mammoth", "cheetah", "antelope", "flying bird" and "leaping dragon". It sounds like a zoo with exotic animals. These cars are all domestic cars that he bought out of his own pocket. Russian media described it as "a model for stimulating domestic demand and supporting domestic production." When Putin first became president, the Russian government equipped him with German cars. In 2003, at his request, the Likhachev Automobile Factory tailor-made a set of three models for him to travel: the official meeting car, the official travel car and the parade army car. On January 25, 2010, as Prime Minister of Russia, Putin endorsed the "Neva" off-road vehicle produced by the Volga Automobile Factory, setting a precedent for the head of state to endorse the brand.

The arrival of Putin's first car was dramatic. In 1972, Putin was in his third year of law at Leningrad State University. One summer day, his mother went to the Leningrad Stachek cafeteria to buy bread. The head of the cafeteria found that all the changes had been found, so he gave her a lottery ticket worth 1 ruble. Unexpectedly, this lottery ticket actually won a "Zaporozhetz" brand car. This car is the "Mammoth." As soon as the winter vacation arrived, Putin drove straight to Siberia to explore. After Putin went to work in the state security department, he drove the "Mammoth" to get off work every day. Once returning from a mission, other colleagues drove directly to the parking space, but Putin patiently reversed the car and stuffed the rear of the car first. A boss happened to see the scene and asked during a small chat, and Putin replied: "The front of the car is facing out. In an emergency, I can rush out first."

For Putin, who needs to be on call at all times, the car is an important tool. By 1982, the "mammoth", which had become a classic car, began to malfunction frequently. But Putin was earning less than 20,000 rubles a year and was about to get married. His fiancée Lyudmila thoughtfully advocated that both of their savings be taken out to buy a car. Putin got his wish and drove back a Volga, named "Cheetah", but their wedding was delayed for 10 months.

In addition to cars, Mr. Putin's other well-known hobby is judo, and he has even co-authored two books teaching judo: "Judo: History, Theory and Practice" and "Judo with Putin." At the age of 10, Mr. Putin studied Sambo wrestling at a fighting school in St. Petersburg, then called Leningrad, and later switched to judo. Mr. Putin's distinguishing feature, his coach, Mr. Lachlin, says, is his rare ability to resist fatigue, and he often wins matches with a sudden move. In addition, Mr. Putin can "open the bow from left to right," while most judokas are only good at one side. In short, "he is not a power type, but a passionate judo player."

Although Putin did not choose to become a professional judo athlete, this hobby has had an important impact on his life. In an exclusive interview with Paris Match in 2004, he told reporters: "I am active by nature, but after practicing judo, I found that my personality has also changed. I used to like to make fists when I had disputes with my peers, but now I am more and more used to reasoning. It was sports that changed my outlook on life and values and taught me to respect my partners. On the other hand, sports also cultivated my unyielding spirit of perseverance. In this sense, I do not fully agree with the slogan of'focusing on participation '. For me, the result is the most important thing."

Putin is better at more than judo and wrestling. So far, no head of state has been as versatile as Putin. He hunted tigers in the Siberian jungle, groped whales in the Far East, flew fighter jets to the sky, and rode Harleys. He was voted the most attractive man in the world by women in Russian polls. However, the biggest plus is "no alcoholism".

Many of Mr. Putin's hobbies are quintessentially Russian, with the exception of not drinking. "I never drink alcohol, a small glass of vodka, that's all," he once said. "Alcohol doesn't help solve problems. I enjoy achieving my goals. If something gets in my way, I remove it."