Journalists publish detailed biography of Vladimir Putin

Journalists Roman Badanin and Mikhail Rubin have published a detailed 800-page biography of Vladimir Putin titled ‘The Tsar in Person’. The book, which recently won the Grand Prix Strasbourg literary award, draws on decades of investigative research and describes a ‘climate of fear and violence’ within Russia.

The authors, who founded the independent media project Proekt, recount personal experiences with state intimidation. They describe dawn raids by FSB officers at their Moscow homes, interrogations, and being labeled as ‘foreign agents’ and traitors. Rubin noted that security agents even visited his parents to question his loyalty to the country.

The biography highlights the risks faced by independent reporters in Russia, noting that some colleagues have died in unexplained accidents or through sudden attacks. The authors describe their experiences as a choice between prison and exile.