Mikhail Zygar - All the Kremlin’s Men: Inside the Court of Vladimir Putin

Copyright 2016 by Mikhail Zygar.

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Book Design by Jeff Williams

The interpreter is Thomas Hodson and the editor of the Russian text is Karen Shainyan.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Zygar, Mikhail, 1981 author, interviewer.

Title: All the Kremlins men: inside the court of Vladimir Putin / Mikhail Zygar.

Description: New York, NY: PublicAffairs, 2016. | Includes bibliographical references and index. | Translated from Russian; no information is available about the translator.

Identifiers: LCCN 2016018443 (print) | LCCN 2016021716 (ebook) | ISBN 9781610397407 (ebook)

Subjects: LCSH: Russia (Federation) Politics and government1991 | Russia (Federation) History1991 | Russia (Federation) BiographyInterviews. | Putin, Vladimir Vladimirovich, 1952

Classification: LCC DK510.763 .Z9413 2016 (print) | LCC DK510.763 (ebook) | DDC 947.086/20922dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2016018443

First Edition

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Table of Contents

CONTENTS

Abramovich, Roman. Russian business tycoon and owner of the Chelsea Football Club; made his fortune in a series of controversial oil export deals in the early 1990s when he was close to Boris Yeltsin; teamed up with the former billionaire Boris Berezovsky to take over Sibneft at a fraction of its market value; became the governor of the isolated Siberian region of Chukotka, then head of its parliament before his permanent relocation to London.

Akhmetov, Rinat. Ukrainian steel and iron ore magnate; used to be the most influential business figure in Donbass (eastern Ukraine); was the main sponsor of Viktor Yanukovychs presidential campaigns of 2004 and 2010.

Aksyonov, Sergey. Prime minister of the Republic of Crimea; organized the annexation of Crimea by Russia.

Alekperov, Vagit. One of Russias oligarchs; owner of the oil company Lukoil.

Alexis II. Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia from 1990 until his death in 2008; alleged to have been a KGB agent.

Aven, Pyotr. Head of Alfa Banking Group, which owns Russias largest private bank, Alfa Bank; minister of international economic relations in the early 1990s; first oligarch to make friends with Vladimir Putin and introduced him to Boris Berezovsky and many other influential figures.

Azarov, Mykola. As Ukrainian prime minister 20102014, suspended the preparation for negotiating UkraineEuropean Union Association Agreement, which triggered civil unrest; resigned amid widespread riots and found political asylum in Russia.

Bagapsh, Sergei. President of Abkhazia from 2005 until his death in 2011; during his tenure, Russia recognized the independence of Abkhazia.

Bastrykin, Alexander. Was in Vladimir Putins cohort at St. Petersburg State University; in 2011 named head of the Investigative Committee of Russia, which is answerable to the president of Russia and responsible for conducting investigations into local authorities and federal governmental bodies; in 2012 was alleged by anti-corruption activist Alexei Navalny of having business interests and residency in the Czech Republic.

Baturina, Yelena. The wife of Moscows former mayor Yury Luzhkov (19922010); now Russias wealthiest woman owing to the sale of her main asset, construction company Inteko, in 2011.

Belaventsev, Oleg. A close friend of Sergey Shoigu, defense minister of Russia; in charge of the operation of the annexation of Crimea; after annexation, was appointed presidential envoy of the Crimean Federal District.

Boris Berezovsky. In 1999 played a key part in promoting Vladimir Putin as Boris Yeltsins successor and helped fund the Unity bloc; in 2000 moved from Russia to the UK and was granted political asylum in 2003; in 2012 lost the case he brought over the ownership of Sibneft against Roman Abramovich, in which he sought more than 3 billion in damages; mysteriously died in 2013 in the UK.

Borodai, Alexander. Prime minister of the self-proclaimed Donetsk Peoples Republic, MayAugust 2014; previously worked as a political adviser to Sergey Aksyonov, prime minister of the Republic of Crimea.

Bortnikov, Alexander. Director of the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation since 2008; subject of sanctions by the EU and Canada (but not the United States) in 2014.

Chaika, Yuri. Minister of justice, 19992006; then effectively swapped posts with his predecessor Vladimir Ustinov and since has been prosecutor general of the Russian Federation; subject of 2015 investigation by Alexey Navalnys Anti-Corruption Foundation.

Chemezov, Sergei. CEO of Rostec, a Russian state corporation established in late 2007 to promote development, production, and export of high-tech industrial products for civil and defense sectors; old friend of Vladimir Putins; in 2014 sanctioned by the EU and the United States.

Cherkesov, Viktor. Former KGB officer; first deputy director of the FSB under Vladimir Putin and Nikolay Patrushev; headed the Federal Service for the Control of the Circulation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Substances, 20032008; in 2007 publicly remarked on conflict between the Russian security agencies; in 2010 was excluded from Putins group of high-ranking officials.

Chubais, Anatoly. Head of the Russian Nanotechnology Corporation, RUSNANO; as an influential member of Boris Yeltsins administration in the 1990s, responsible for privatization in Russia and a key figure in introducing market economy and the principles of private ownership after the fall of the Soviet Union.

Churov, Vladimir. Chairman of the Central Election Commission of Russia, 20072016; known for the expression Churovs rule #1 is Putin is always right; blamed for election fraud during the protest rallies of 2011 and 2012.