All the Kremlin's Men: Inside the Court of Vladimir Putin

by Mikhail Zygar

Overview

An extraordinary behind-the-scenes portrait of the court of Vladimir Putin, the oligarchs that surround it, and the many moods of modern Russia that reads like a "real House of Cards"(Lev Lurie).

All the Kremlin's Men is a gripping narrative of an accidental king and a court out of control. Based on an unprecedented series of interviews with Vladimir Putin's inner circle, this book presents a radically different view of power and politics in Russia. The image of Putin as a strongman is dissolved. In its place is a weary figurehead buffeted — if not controlled — by the men who at once advise and deceive him.

The regional governors and bureaucratic leaders are immovable objects, far more powerful in their fiefdoms than the president himself. So are the gatekeepers-those officials who guard the pathways to power-on whom Putin depends as much as they rely on him. The tenuous edifice is filled with all of the intrigue and plotting of a Medici court, as enemies of the state are invented and wars begun to justify personal gains, internal rivalries, or one faction's biased advantage.

A bestseller in Russia, All the Kremlin's Men is a shocking revisionist portrait of the Putin era and a dazzling reconstruction of the machinations of courtiers running riot.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781568588179
Publisher:	PublicAffairs
Publication date:	11/07/2017
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	400
Sales rank:	436,919
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.10(h) x 1.30(d)

About the Author

Mikhail Zygar is the former editor in chief of the only independent TV station in Russia, TV Rain (Dozhd). Previously, he worked for Newsweek Russia and the business daily Kommersant. Zygar was awarded the 2014 International Press Freedom Award by the Committee to Protect Journalists.

Table of Contents

List of Characters vii

Introduction xix

Part 1 Putin I the Lionheart

Chapter 1 In Which Kremlin Strategist Alexander Voloshin Learns to Tolerate Lenin 3

Chapter 2 In Which Political Émigré Boris Berezovsky Is Not Invited to the Royal Wedding 23

Chapter 3 In Which Russia's Richest Man, Mikhail Khodorkovsky, Loses His Business and Freedom, and the Family Disappears 47

Part 2 Putin II the Magnificent

Chapter 4 In Which Kremlin Chief of Staff Dmitry Medvedev Creates a New Russian Class 69

Chapter 5 In Which Ukrainian Presidential Chief of Staff Viktor Medvedchuk Is the Last Ukrainian to Enjoy Putin's Trust 83

Chapter 6 In Which Deputy Chief of Staff Vladislav Surkov Defends the Besieged Kremlin 97

Chapter 7 In Which Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov Comes Up with a Plan to Make Russia an Empire Once More 117

Chapter 8 In Which Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov Is Convinced That He Is the Heir to the Throne 129

Part 3 Prince Dmitry

Chapter 9 In Which Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili Retains Power-and Something Far More Valuable 149

Chapter 10 In Which Barack Obama Becomes the Kremlin's Best Friend and Worst Enemy 169

Chapter 11 In Which Deputy Prime Minister Igor Sechin Turns into a Russian Che Guevara 177

Chapter 12 In Which Russian Princess Tatyana Yumasheva Comes Up with a New Democratic Party 191

Chapter 13 In Which Opposition Leader Alexei Navalny Thinks He Can Lead the People to the Kremlin 207

Part 4 Putin the Terrible

Chapter 14 In Which Patriarch Kirill Gives Fatherly Advice to Russia's Cabinet of Ministers 229

Chapter 15 In Which Kremlin Strategist Vyacheslav Volodin Invents a New National Idea 239

Chapter 16 In Which Putin's Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov Realizes the Futility of Trying to Please the West 253

Chapter 17 In Which Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu Takes Revenge for Afghanistan and Nicholas I 271

Chapter 18 In Which Alexei Kudrin Loses the Battle for the President's Heart and Mind 293

Chapter 19 In Which Ramzan Kadyrov Takes a Round Trip to Dubai 311

Chapter 20 In Which Bashar al-Assad Becomes the Mirror Image of Putin 327

Conclusion: Putin the Saint 341

Notes 347

Index 355

Editorial Reviews

"To those who believe that Vladimir Putin's rise to power followed an inexorable master plan of control, this book will come as a shock. Mikhail Zygar, editor-in-chief of Russia's only independent TV station, says everything that happens in Putin's Russia is tactics: 'a real-time response to external stimuli devoid of an ultimate objective.' Based on interviews with members of Putin's inner circle and with key actors in Russia today, Zygar charts the evolution of Vladimir Putin from a fan of the West to the West's nemesis, from reformer to what Zygar calls a 'hurt and introverted outcast.' Fifteen years after Putin came to power, many still are trying to answer the question 'Who is Mr. Putin?' Mikhail Zygar has some answers." —Jill Dougherty, Former CNN Anchor and Foreign Affairs Correspondent

"Mikhail Zygar is one of the heroes of Putin's Russia, courageously trying to practice honest journalism in a country where honesty increasingly has become an occupational hazard. He is uniquely qualified to take on the subject of Putin and his entourage, and he presents the story of the past 15 years in a way that punctures myths and opens our eyes to events we only thought we understood. He does so with inside reporting, insightful analysis and a cheerful refusal to treat pomposity with respect. —Fred Hiatt, Washington Post

"[All the Kremlin's Men] is absolutely riveting. I have the sense that Mikhail Zygar has gone more profoundly than any other into the deep roots of the Putin Empire. The work is truly brilliant!" —David Andelman, Editor and Publisher, World Policy Journal

"Mikhail Zygar's voice remains one of the most important ones in the rapidly deteriorating media freedom environment in Russia. As a reporter and later as editor-in-chief of Dozhd-TV, Mikhail has been a true advocate for quality journalism and high ethical standards. Anyone interested in journalism and free media should listen to his insights and vast experience. —Dunja Mijatovic, OSCE Representative on the Freedom of the Media

"[All the Kremlin's Men] is based on profound research, dozens and hundreds of interviews, and many years of attentive and thoughtful observation. All of that is deep within, and what the reader sees immediately is a 230-page story, bright, well-written, excellent text, truly an exciting piece of non-fiction adventure." —Galina Yuzefovich, literary critic, Meduza

"I read this book in one night, truly a page-turner. It leaves a profoundly scary impression: that's real 'House of Cards.'"—Lev Lurie, writer and historian

"Outside observers, especially those in the West, chronically and routinely overestimate Vladimir Putin's control over the system he runs. We look for grand strategy instead of immediate, tactical considerations. We look for a single, organizing mind instead of a hive of voices competing for his attention. Mikhail Zygar, one of Russia's smartest and best-sourced young journalists, provides a necessary corrective with his new book, All the Kremlin's Men: A Court History of 21st Century Russia. Mr. Zygar, editor of the independent news station TV Rain, obtained rare access to Kremlin insiders, piecing together a portrait of a 'collective Vladimir Putin' that is both less calculating-and more dangerous-than the singular strongman of our imagination."—Ellen Barry, New York Times

"Mikhail Zygar is a rare Russian journalist, objective, refusing to follow the herd, still holding the Putin era to account despite the obvious dangers. Knowing he could always follow many colleagues and activists into jail, hospital, or into the graveyard, Zygar persists nonetheless. He gets behind the propaganda machine in a unique series of in-depth off-the-record interviews with leading Russian politicians, policy makers and oligarchs including some from Putin's inner circle. A must read if anyone is to understand what Putin's game is." —Christiane Amanpour, CNN Chief International Correspondent

"...fascinating...[Mikhail] Zygar takes us deep into the secret world of the courtiers whose task is to shape Mr. Putin's access to information so that he makes the "right" decision..." —The Wall Street Journal

"Of the many accounts written about the Russian president, Mikhail Zygar's insider's guide to his court is one of the most compelling...The book charts not just the machinations of the various players...It also acutely traces the evolution of Putin's mind." —The Guardian

"A tale of Russian politics based on personalities, ego and ambition, rather than policy, convictions or ideology...The stream of court intrigue gives 'All the Kremlin's Men' the juicy allure of a Russian thriller." —The Economist

From the Publisher

★ 10/01/2016
Zygar is a highly experienced journalist associated with Russia's disappearing independent media, and his book provides a detailed chronicle of Vladimir Putin's rule. The author depicts an unusual authoritarian governing style reconciling Putin's absolute power with a varied cavalcade of chief advisors. At his best, Zygar interprets intersecting webs of legal and political power wielded by shifting loyalties, tactics, and agendas. For some, such as Nikolai Patrushev, the former director of the Federal Security Service (FSB), ties to Putin may be redeemed in prosperous political longevity. The more common fate shared by many with the "tandem" president and "liberal" Dmitry Medvedev express sporadic conflict and political humiliation. Episodic events such as the annexation of Crimea, war in Chechnya, and the oppositional Bolotnaya mass protest are described in detail. Putin's unpredictability becomes mired in assumptions contrary to Western thinking. The content is well explained and consistently plausible, but in depending on extensive personal interviews, some accounts cannot be confirmed. Far less plausible are prospects for any "reset" in Russian-American relations. VERDICT This excellent book contains a continuous account of Putin's years in power seasoned with details that are poorly known to most readers, if known at all.—Zachary Irwin, Behrend Coll., Pennsylvania State Erie

Library Journal

Bucking the trend of narrators with English accents reading accounts of Russia, Dan Woren gives a very good reading of this interesting look at how political power really works in Russia. This Russian bestseller contends that Vladimir Putin is not the tsar of the new Russia but a creation of the oligarchy that runs the nation. Woren’s resonant bass is clear, easy to understand, and appropriately expressive. His deliberate pacing makes this work easy to follow and gives an overall authoritative effect to the entire production. He reads quotes from Russians with an adequate enough Russian-sounding accent. Those who know Russian may find his pronunciation of certain Russian words a bit grating, but this is, overall, a very good production. M.T.F. © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine

MARCH 2018 - AudioFile

Bucking the trend of narrators with English accents reading accounts of Russia, Dan Woren gives a very good reading of this interesting look at how political power really works in Russia. This Russian bestseller contends that Vladimir Putin is not the tsar of the new Russia but a creation of the oligarchy that runs the nation. Woren’s resonant bass is clear, easy to understand, and appropriately expressive. His deliberate pacing makes this work easy to follow and gives an overall authoritative effect to the entire production. He reads quotes from Russians with an adequate enough Russian-sounding accent. Those who know Russian may find his pronunciation of certain Russian words a bit grating, but this is, overall, a very good production. M.T.F. © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine

MARCH 2018 - AudioFile

2016-07-04
A veteran journalist and former editor-in-chief of Russia’s only independent TV news station paints a revealing group portrait of the entourage influencing Vladimir Putin.With the likely exception of Dmitry Medvedev, the hand-picked successor whose 2008-2012 reign allowed President Putin to skip over the constitution’s annoying bar to a third consecutive term, few of the names Zygar highlights will resonate with a Western audience. Yet these bureaucrats, politicians, and businessmen, each with his own ego, ambition, and agenda, each attempting to divine the will of the leader, each reacting to events, account for Putin’s decision-making. Based on his own research and close observation of the Russian scene for the past 15 years and a large number of personal interviews, Zygar pieces together the depressing story of Putin’s declension. It’s a regression exposed by the president’s choice of best friends among the world’s leaders: from Bush and Blair to Schroeder and Chirac, Berlusconi and al-Assad. It’s a downward slope from necessary economic and military reforms and a commitment to combating Islamic terrorism to the effort to manipulate public opinion, discipline the oligarchs, suppress internal opposition, and steel the government against the “color revolutions” springing up in the post-Soviet and Arab states. Finally, there are the military interventions in Georgia and Ukraine, the seizure of Crimea, a shrinking economy, and a forthright anti-West foreign policy. Zygar touches on all the headline-making events familiar to Western readers—the Kursk submarine tragedy, the Chechen terrorist attack in a Moscow theater, the army hazing scandals, the Pussy Riot arrests, the Sochi Olympics, and the murder of journalist Anna Politkovskaya—but this time we see these events through the eyes of Putin’s inner circle, courtiers intent on retaining power and propping up their man. Certainly for Kremlinologists but also for readers wishing to better understand how Putin’s Russia has come to look so much like the old Soviet Union.

Kirkus Reviews