A gathering of specially chosen dignitaries watched as Mr. Putin put his hand on the Russian constitution at a ceremony held in the opulent Grand Kremlin Palace and swore to protect it.
With his inauguration on Tuesday, 71-year-old Vladimir Putin will begin a second six-year term at the top.
Having ruled the Kremlin for almost 25 years—20 as president and 4 as prime minister—he is already the most enduring leader since Joseph Stalin.
Only Catherine the Great, who controlled Russia in the eighteenth century, will be ahead of him by the end of this term.
He will be eligible to run for office again in 2030, when his current term ends.
