Cover design by Lindhardt og Ringhof Forlag, Denmark

The Putin Mystique Non-fiction, Current Affairs, Social History Foreign rights Denmark Lindhardt og Ringhof Forlag Sweden Ordfront Finland Atena Poland Zysk i S-ka Wydawnictwo Estonia Ajakirjade Kirjastus Lithuania Kitos Knygos Latvia Zvaigzne Bulgaria Prozoretz Publishers Czech Euromedia Group, k. s. Universum Slovakia Ikar Romania Meteor China under negotiations

No mere biography, this timely, courageous and provocative book from a bilingual Russian-American journalist, living in Russia for the past ten years, does not seek to answer the oft-examined question “Who is Vladimir Putin”, but rather provides  groundbreaking research into what in contemporary Russian culture, economy and her people’s psyche has allowed Putin to become what he has become.    

Why was Vladimir Putin’s return to the Kremlin more of a coronation than a re-election? And will things really change in Russia if the current protest movement succeeds in toppling Putin’s autocratic regime?  Anna Arutunyan, the Senior Political reporter at The Moscow News sets forth an insightful and brave journalistic investigation of the dynamics of the relationships between the Russian people and their ruler.

To understand Russia’s future, one must understand her past. The Putin Mystique depicts a neo-feudal world where iPads, WTO membership, and Brioni business suits conceal a power structure straight out of the Middle Ages, where the Sovereign is both demonic and divine, where a man’s riches are determined by his proximity to the Kremlin, and where large swaths of the populace resort to pseudo-masochism interrupted by bouts of revolt. The key paradox uncovered in the book is one that will astonish readers: supreme power in the Kremlin is actually far weaker and less vigorously exerted than many people hunger for in modern Russia.  

With an approach at once journalistic and personal, this book draws on over one hundred interviews, numerous case studies, and lively yet scholarly examinations of existing writings to paint an often chilling portrait of Russian autocracy from below.  The Putin Mystique reveals the shocking and previously unexamined fabric of life that is at the base of Russian power - from the impoverished worker who appeals directly to Putin for aid, to the businessmen, security officers and officials in Putin’s often dysfunctional government who look to their leader for instruction and protection Spanning the last 12 years of Putin’s rule, The Putin Mystique also includes first-hand analysis of the protest movement that has recently challenged his hold on power to shed light on the changes that may await Russia.

Putin’s seeming omnipotence – and his recent return to the Kremlin for a term that will last at least six years - has confounded the West and much of the world. Not a time-sensitive biography nor an attempt to reveal alleged “secrets” about Putin which may or may not be entirely factual,  The Putin Mystique goes underneath the politics to uncover how social and economic factors have molded the second President of the Russian Federation into a classical autocrat,  reviving the ancient, feudal relationships that have historically governed Russia in the absence of the rule of law.  The Putin Mystique places the contemporary situation into the context of five centuries of autocratic power in Russia, revealing unexpected historical parallels which will surprise readers and illuminate their understanding of what’s happening in Russia and why.

Ms. Arutunyan persuasively demonstrates that despite the recent hunger for change, the protest movement is but part of a vicious circle of despotism, corruption and revolution – a Catch-22 that seems to predispose society towards autocrats with personalized, rather than institutional rule.  The book exposes the conspicuous weaknesses of the current system, where all initiative is handed over to the leader in cases where he is willing to be involved or to unreliable and often ethically-challenged regional vassals in cases where he is not.

With Putin’s future uncertain and Russia’s path once again in turmoil, Anna Arutunyan uses her first-hand, expert knowledge of national affairs and politics to create a compelling exploration of Russia today, providing an urgent warning to policy makers and business leaders and a fascinating work of social science and modern history for anybody interested in understanding Russia, her people and the inevitably autocratic leader at the country’s helm. 

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