▁ 1 9 7 5 . ▁His ▁th esis ▁was ▁on ▁" The ▁Most ▁F av ored ▁Nation ▁Tr ading ▁Princi ple ▁in ▁International ▁Law ". ▁While ▁there , ▁he ▁was ▁required ▁to ▁join ▁the ▁Commun ist ▁Party ▁of ▁the ▁Soviet ▁Union ▁and ▁remained ▁a ▁member ▁until ▁it ▁ceased ▁to ▁exist ▁( it ▁was ▁out la wed ▁in ▁August ▁ 1 9 9 1 ). ▁Put in ▁met ▁An atol y ▁Sob ch ak , ▁an ▁assistant ▁professor ▁who ▁taught ▁business ▁law , ▁was ▁co - author ▁of ▁the ▁Russian ▁constitution , ▁and ▁who ▁would ▁be ▁influ ential ▁in ▁Put in ' s ▁career . ▁ ▁K GB ▁career ▁▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 7 5 , ▁Put in ▁joined ▁the ▁K GB ▁and ▁trained ▁at ▁the ▁ 4 0 1 st ▁K GB ▁school ▁in ▁Ok ht a , ▁L ening rad . ▁After ▁training , ▁he ▁worked ▁in ▁the ▁Second ▁Chief ▁Director ate ▁( counter - int elligence ), ▁before ▁he ▁was ▁transferred ▁to ▁the ▁First ▁Chief ▁Director ate , ▁where ▁he ▁monitor ed ▁foreign ers ▁and ▁cons ular ▁officials ▁in ▁L ening rad . ▁In ▁September ▁ 1 9 8 4 , ▁Put in ▁was ▁sent ▁to ▁Moscow ▁for ▁further ▁training ▁at ▁the ▁Y uri ▁And rop ov ▁Red ▁B anner ▁Institute . ▁From ▁ 1 9 8 5 ▁to ▁ 1 9 9 0 ▁he ▁served ▁in ▁Dresden , ▁East ▁Germany , ▁using ▁a ▁cover ▁identity ▁as ▁a ▁transl ator . ▁M asha ▁G essen , ▁a ▁Russian -