Russian Journalists in Exile Publish Comprehensive Biography of Putin
Independent journalists Roman Badanin and Mikhail Rubin, who were forced into exile from Russia, have released an approximately 800-page book detailing Vladimir Putin's rise to power and his regime.
Russian journalists Roman Badanin and Mikhail Rubin, founders of the independent media project Proekt, were forced to leave their country following FSB raids. Written in exile, their work has been awarded a French literary prize.
Home Raids and the Departure Process
In the early hours of the morning on June 29, 2021, masked FSB officers raided the Moscow homes of journalists Roman Badanin and Mikhail Rubin. These raids served as a serious warning to the founders operating in the field of investigative journalism.
Undesirable Media Organization Decision
Less than three weeks after the home raids, the Kremlin administration declared the Proekt media outlet an "undesirable" organization. With the mounting pressure, both journalists faced the choices of imprisonment or exile and left Russia.
An Eight Hundred-Page Comprehensive Work
Continuing their work in exile, the journalists published a biography titled "The Tsar in Person," spanning roughly 800 pages, which addresses Vladimir Putin's journey to power and his regime. The work won the Grand Prix Strasbourg literary award in France.
Content of the Book and the Kremlin's Reaction
Examining Putin's rise from KGB agent to the Kremlin, the book characterizes him as a modern tsar devoid of ideology and possessing a capacity for limitless cruelty. Banned by the Kremlin, the work is currently available to readers in Russian and French.