This project explores the people shaping modern Russia — its politics, economy, society, and relationship with the outside world.
Our in-depth profiles examine key figures not simply as individuals, but as forces within a larger system. Some wield political power, others control strategic industries, influence public institutions, or play a significant role in Russia’s relations with the European Union and the West.
The articles are deliberately independent and, where necessary, critical. But they also seek to go beyond familiar narratives, examining the interests, decisions, relationships, and contradictions that define the country’s political and economic landscape — and its place in the world.
The aim is neither to produce official portraits nor political caricatures, but to understand the people behind the headlines and the forces they represent.