Exactly 25 years ago on May 7, ex-KGB colonel Vladimir Putin—with little public exposure as deputy mayor of St Petersburg—took the oath of the highest office in the post-Communist Russia. A quarter century later, Putin, 72, still remains the most popular politician in Russia, as was evident by last year’s election, which Putin won with 88.48 per cent of votes polled.

In a TV documentary shown on Sunday, he, however, said that he was looking for a successor, but it was not in his power as the successor would have to seek a popular vote in the elections with strong rivals. For Putin, it has been a 25-year journey that has come to coincide with Russia’s journey in the 21st century.