THE RUSSIA CONUNDRUM

A disturbing account that peels back the layers of the Putin regime to reveal the corruption and violence at the core.

Once a wealthy oligarch and a player in Moscow politics, Khodorkovsky ran afoul of Putin in 2003 and spent 10 years in prison before leaving the country in exile. In this remarkable book, co-written by British journalist Sixsmith, he interweaves the story of Putin’s rise with a personal account of his own fall. The book could have easily turned into a conspiratorial rant, but the text remains focused. Khodorkovsky was an excellent student, studying chemical engineering, and his entrepreneurial streak allowed him to take advantage of the convulsions of the Gorbachev era, first with a bank and later an oil company, Yukos. His wealth led to close contact with Boris Yeltsin, and he even served as an economic adviser. When Putin took over, Khodorkovsky was initially hopeful, but he soon realized the danger of his authoritarian ambitions. Khodorkovsky’s criticisms of Putin, and of the level of corruption in the inner circle, led to his arrest and decade in prison. “You don’t even need to fall out with them to be targeted,” he writes. “They can simply take a fancy to your business or your property. And once they have you in their sights, there is no way out. You have no one to turn to, no one to help you—not the law, not the courts, not the media, not your bosses or your neighbors.” Khodorkovsky eventually fled to London, where he founded the Open Russia movement to promote liberal reform. For this, he earned a price on his head. He devotes the closing chapter to his hope that Russia might eventually become more democratic, although this sounds more idealistic than likely, and Khodorkovsky admits that Putin’s rhetoric of returning Russia to the glory days of Stalin’s time strikes a popular chord.

Authoritative, essential reading for anyone who wants to understand the frightening breadth and depth of Putin’s methods.