The Top 10, besides Putin, comprises a number of entertainers, including South Korean singer Lee Chae-rin, known by her stage name CL, pop stars Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Taylor Swift, and religious leaders, featuring the Dalai Lama and Pope Francis. A full list will be published on April 16.
The Russian president is frequently featured in various international rankings established by high-profile Western media.
In November, 2014, Putin was named the world's most powerful person by Forbes for the second year running, followed by US President Barack Obama and Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
Forbes argues that the ranking singles out people, who "wield the kind of power that shapes and bends the works, and moves people, markets, armies and minds."
The Russian leader was also named Person of the Year by Time magazine in 2007 for performing an “extraordinary feat of leadership in imposing stability on a nation that has rarely known it and bringing Russia back to the table of world power.” In 2014 Putin finished third in Time’s ranking.
Russian President Vladimir Putin was named The Times International Person of the Year in 2013 for succeeding in his ambition of bringing Moscow back to international attention.
Inside of Russia, Vladimir Putin has been named Person of the Year for the 16th time in a row by Russians in 2014. A record number of respondents nominated Putin for the title in comparison to recent years (57 percent), according to the survey, carried out by Russian polling agency, the Levada Center.
Another Russian polling agency, the Public Opinion Foundation, also named Putin Person of the Year 2014. His candidacy was supported by 68 percent of respondents.
