The Oligarchs
The Oligarchs: Wealth and Power in the New Russia is a 2001 non-fiction publication authored by Pulitzer Prize recipient and Washington Post contributing editor David E. Hoffman. The work examines Russia's transitional era, spanning from the dissolution of the Soviet Union through the phases of privatization in Russia, the 1996 Russian presidential election, the 1998 Russian financial crisis, and culminating with Vladimir Putin's ascent in the late 1990s.
Synopsis
Hoffman explores the rise of the Russian oligarchs, a group of entrepreneurs who accumulated immense fortunes and political sway during Boris Yeltsin's tenure, often in collaboration with prominent government figures. The narrative highlights six principal individuals:
- Boris Berezovsky – erstwhile proprietor of Sibneft oil company and a significant stakeholder in ORT
- Mikhail Khodorkovsky – previous owner of Bank Menatep and the oil firm Yukos
- Vladimir Gusinsky – media magnate who established NTV channel along with several newspapers
- Alexander Smolensky – proprietor of SBS-Agro, a major private bank that failed during the 1998 financial crisis
- Yury Luzhkov – longtime incumbent mayor of Moscow
- Anatoly Chubais – key figure within Yeltsin's administration and principal architect behind privatization efforts
Reception
The book has been rendered into various languages including Russian, Spanish, Hebrew, Chinese, and Croatian. It garnered favorable critiques from both scholarly circles and mainstream media. Political analyst Robert Legvold lauded it in Foreign Affairs as "an expertly crafted fusion of thrilling narrative and rigorous, insightful examination." Rosalie Parker of The SAIS Review of International Affairs praised its thoroughness and readability, though she observed it lacked engagement with the everyday experiences of ordinary Russians.
See also
External links
- Lenin's Capitalists (Review by William Taubman in The New York Times, April 28, 2002)
- Discussion on The Oligarchs featuring Hoffman, March 30, 2002