The Wizard of the Kremlin

New edition with film cover

They called him the Wizard of the Kremlin. The mysterious Vadim Baranov was a theatre director, a reality TV producer, and ultimately the grey eminence of Vladimir Putin, known as the Tsar. After he leaves his post as a political advisor, countless stories circulate about him, in which it is impossible to distinguish truth from fiction. One night, however, he reveals his story to the narrator of this book.

Vadim’s story takes place at the heart of Russian power, where courtiers and oligarchs wage a ceaseless war. Vadim becomes the regime's chief spin doctor, transforming the entire country into a political theatre – where the only possible reality is fulfilling the Tsar's wishes. But when Vadim is drawn too deeply into the darker machinations of the system he helped build, he does everything he can to break free.

The character of Vadim Baranov was inspired by the businessman and politician Vladislav Surkov, one of the founders of the United Russia party, which helped bring Vladimir Putin to power in 2001.

The Wizard of the Kremlin is a key novel about contemporary Russia. It exposes the inner workings of the Putin era and offers a brilliant reflection on power itself. For many months, the book topped the bestseller lists in France, selling more than 320,000 copies in total. The film adaptation received a nomination for the prestigious Golden Lion award at the Venice Film Festival.