Vladimir Potanin was born January 3, 1961 in Moscow. His father was a Soviet trade representative in New Zealand. In 1983, Potanin graduated from the Economics Faculty of Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO), specializing in economics, international affairs ". On one thread with Andrei Brezhnev studied (the grandson of General Secretary of the CPSU Leonid Brezhnev) and Alexei Mitrofanov (Liberal Democratic Party deputy chairman of the party). While studying at the Institute Potanin was an instructor Komsomol Committee MGIMO functioned on the Rights of the District Committee. Potanin subsequently joined the Communist Party.
