‘About a Boy’ podcast explores Vladimir Putin’s backstory

The World

Russian American journalist Julia Ioffe has produced a new podcast about Vladimir Putin’s origin story, “About a Boy.” Host Marco Werman talks with Ioffe about how Putin’s hardscrabble childhood — and the rough justice of the neighborhood playground — taught him lessons that shape his thinking and actions to this day.

Will you support The World with a monthly donation?

Every day, reporters and producers at The World are hard at work bringing you human-centered news from across the globe. But we can’t do it without you. We need your support to ensure we can continue this work for another year.

Make a gift today, and you’ll help us unlock a matching gift of $67,000!