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Mr Medvedev, who trusts his mentor completely, would present a moderate, civilian image to the world as president, while focusing on improving the quality of life at home. Mr Putin would retain control over security issues to pacify the “siloviki”, while dispensing fatherly advice to his young successor as an elder statesman.

The nomination wrong-footed critics of Mr Putin. The liberal candidate Boris Nemtsov called it “humiliating for the people, when the authorities determine who needs to be supported”.

Gleb Pavlovsky, a political analyst linked to the Kremlin, acknowledged that it was “a prepared decision” and ruled out any challenges from within Mr Putin’s circle. He said: “A member of the Putin team will hardly suggest himself as an alternative to the candidate supported by Putin.”

Some critics refused to rule out the prospect of Mr Putin returning. Vladimir Ryzhkov, a liberal politician, said: “If Putin wants to gradually leave power, Medvedev guarantees him comfort and security and will continue to listen to him. If Putin wants to return in two, three years . . . Medvedev will be the person who will without a doubt give up the path for him.”

RISING STAR

— Dmitri Medvedev, 42, owes his political career to Mr Putin, who has demonstrated an almost paternal interest in him

— His emergence will please the West, which had grown fearful of Mr Putin’s increasingly bellicose rhetoric. He has described his outlook on foreign policy as “European”

— He charmed world leaders and business titans at this year’s annual gathering at Davos, telling them: “We are well aware that no non-democratic state has ever become truly prosperous for one simple reason: freedom is better than non-freedom”

— The only child of two Russian academics, he graduated from the same law faculty in St Petersburg as Mr Putin, but did not follow his path into the KGB. He became a lawyer and academic.

— He and Mr Putin worked in the administration of Anatoly Sobchak, St Petersburg’s liberal mayor, in the 1990s. Mr Putin has described how he picked out Mr Medvedev to be his legal adviser

— He made Mr Medvedev his chief of staff when he became Prime Minister in 1999, then raised him to the same post in the Kremlin in 2003 as president

— Mr Putin created the post of first deputy prime minister for Mr Medvedev in 2005, which was widely seen as a sign that his successor had been chosen

— The impression was strengthened when he took charge of the key “national projects” to improve housing, agriculture, education and health. His role as chairman of the board at the energy giant Gazprom only strengthened his hand

Source: Tony Halpin

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