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In the aftermath of the collapse of the Soviet Union, state-owned assets and resources of the former world superpower were seized by a tiny group of smart, ruthless, and well-connected businessmen. The group, collectively dubbed the Russian oligarchs, rapidly joined the ranks of the world’s richest people -- and now battle Russian president Vladimir Putin for economic and political control of the country.

In a political climate in which journalists and other critics of the Kremlin face imprisonment and even assassination, Russian Godfathers is a thoroughly up-to-date investigation of the rise and fall of the Russian oligarchs and their ongoing war with Putin’s 21st Century Russian Democracy. Obtaining unprecedented on-camera access to the billionaires who are currently at war with Putin, the three-part series offers unique insight on the ruthless struggle for wealth, power and control over resources.

An Oxford Film & Television Production for the BBC, Russian Godfathers is airing as part of Link TV’s Spotlight series. It won the British Grierson Award for Best Documentary Series.

Part 2: The Prisoner
After the fall of Communism Mikhail Khodorkovsky purchased the Yukos Oil company at a scandalously cheap price. The oil tycoon was known for flaunting his wealth with pet tigers and an entourage of beautiful cheerleaders, but in 2003, Khodorkovsky’s criticism of Putin landed him in a Siberian jail on charges of fraud and tax evasion. As the state piled on the pressure – incarcerating Khodorkovsky before the trial, forcing his lawyers into exile and selling off his assets – doubts began to surface about the legitimacy of the government itself. The Prisoner follows the infamous court battle between President Putin and Mikhail Khodorkovsky.

Kremlin expert Jonathan Sanders (author of Russia 1917: The Unpublished Revolution and, with Heidi Hollinger, The Face of Modern Russia’s Political Opposition) will join Spotlight host Lakshmi Chaudhry to explore the issues raised in each of the three programs. Also joining this program is special guest Kathryn Stoner-Weiss, author of Resisting the State: Reform and Retrenchment in Post-Soviet Russia. Watch this exclusive in-studio commentary.

LEARN MORE:
Read a special report on Russia from the U.K.’s Guardian newspaper.
The Guardian reviews Russian Godfathers.

ALSO ON LINK TV:
Russian Godfathers: The Fugitive
Russian Godfathers: The Politician
International Dateline: Who Killed Alexander Litvinenko?
DW In Focus: To Live and Die for Truth?

 
RELATED WEBSITES:
Institute for War and Peace Reporting
Center on Democracy, Development and the Rule of Law (CDDRL)
Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ)
Carnegie Endowment