Entertainment

How the Actor Donatas Banionis Inspired Vladimir Putin to Become a Spy

Fake Spook

The Russian president apparently joined the KGB after seeing the Lithuanian, who went on to star in Solaris and died Thursday at 90, in a Soviet-era spy flick.

Asawin Suebsaeng
Asawin Suebsaeng 

Senior Political Reporter

articles/2014/09/05/how-the-actor-donatas-banionis-inspired-vladimir-putin-to-become-a-spy/140905-swin-putin-mentor-dies-tease_txozi5
Photofest

Why did Vladimir Putin go to work for the KGB? Same reason any of us do anything: He saw a movie.

The Russian president was reportedly inspired, at least in part, to get into the repression and spook biz after seeing

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Asawin Suebsaeng

Asawin Suebsaeng

Senior Political Reporter

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