putin gave up his position in the kgb on august 20, 1991, during the putsch against soviet president mikhail gorbachev. in 1994, he became first deputy chairman of the city of saint petersburg. in august 1996, he came to moscow, and served in a variety of important positions in boris yeltsin's government. he was head of the fsb (a secret spy service in modern capitalist russia) from july 1998 to august 1999, and he was secretary of the security council from march to august 1999.