Oliver Stone - The Putin Interviews

Background Information:

According to the New York Times , “Anatoly A. Sobchak, the former mayor of St. Petersburg and democratic reformer… gave Acting President Vladimir V. Putin his start in public life.” It was Sobchak who, as mayor, renamed Leningrad to St. Petersburg after the August, 1991 coup. “A.A. Sobchak, Dead at 62; Mentor to Putin,” Celestine Bohlen, Feb. 21, 2000. Retrieved at: http://www.nytimes.com/2000/02/21/world/aa-sobchak-dead-at-62-mentor-to-putin.html

Background Information:

The French Utopian Socialists believed in an egalitarian society which would be established through small, “model communities that set examples of harmonious cooperation to the world.” Theirs was a vision of radical democracy on a small scale, gradually leading to a better world. The Marxian socialists, on the other hand, especially as manifested in the creation of the Soviet Union, believed that socialism would be built through a “clash of social forces,” eventually leading to a workers’ state which initially would take the form of the dictatorship of the proletariat. In other words, this was a view of socialism brought about, not gradually or gently, but, out of necessity, by the revolutionary struggle of workers (and, the Russian revolutionaries would add peasants) which initially would have to create a strong state to suppress the former ruling class made up of industrial owners and large land owners. See, e.g., “Socialism,” Terence Ball, Richard Dagger, Encyclopedia Britannica , retrieved at: https://www.britannica.com/topic/socialism

Background Information:

For more detail on the economic chaos and social dislocation brought about by the rapid changes of Perestroika and the collapse of the USSR which resulted, see, Cohen, Stephen F., Soviet Fates and Lost Alternatives: From Stalinism to the New Cold War (Columbia University Press, 2011).

Background Information:

The First Chechen War, waged by President Boris Yeltsin, lasted between 1994 and 1996. The war was waged by Moscow to re-assert control of the Republic of Chechnya which was attempting to break away. The Second Chechen War, began on the Russian side by the new President, Vladimir Putin, was carried out in defense of the Chechen Republic leadership against radical Islamic extremists, many who infiltrated from abroad, who were attempting to topple the upstart Chechen government. Thousands died on both sides of these conflicts in what came to be considered “Russia’s Vietnam War.” Russia did not declare victory in the Second Chechen War until 2009. “Chechnya, Russia and 20 years of Conflict,” Mansur Mirovalev, Al Jaazera (Dec. 11, 2014). Retrieved at: http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2014/12/chechnya-russia-20-years-conflict-2014121161310580523.html

For an actual chronology of these conflicts, see, “Chechnya and Russia: timeline,” The Guardian (April 16, 2009). Retrieved at: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2009/apr/16/chechnya-russia-timeline

Background Information:

Boris Berezovsky was a controversial billionaire oligarch who got rich, as many did, by taking over industry during the privatization of the Russian economy shortly before and after the collapse of the USSR. He died under mysterious circumstances in 2013. Forbes Magazine believes that Berezovsky may have killed its editor Paul Klebnikov. “Did Boris Berezovsky Kill Himself? More Compelling, Did He Kill Forbes Editor Paul Klebnikov?” Richard Behar, Forbes (March 24, 2013). Retrieved at: https://www.forbes.com/sites/richardbehar/2013/03/24/did-boris-berezovsky-kill-himself-more-compelling-did-he-kill-forbes-editor-paul-klebnikov/#621359176729

Claim: “You’re credited with doing many fine things in your first term. Privatization was stopped. You built up industries—electronics, engineering, petrochemical, agriculture, and many others. A real son of Russia—you should be proud. You raised the GDP, you raised incomes, you reformed the army, you resolved the Chechen war.”

Supporting: According to London’s Guardian newspaper, Putin is favorably remembered by the Russian people for helping to “usher in an era of unprecedented prosperity… with real disposable income doubling between 1999 and 2006,” and with the GDP growing by a multiple of 2.7 from 2006 to 2014. “15 years of Vladimir Putin, 15 ways he has changed Russia and the World,” Alec Luhn (May 6, 2015). Retrieved at: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/may/06/vladimir-putin-15-ways-he-changed-russia-world

Claim: “Immensely popular in 2004—you’re reelected with 70 percent of the vote.”

Supporting: Oliver Stone is correct that Putin won the 2004 Presidential election with about 70% of the popular vote. See, “Russia in 2004,” Elizabeth Teague, Encyclopedia Britannica . Retrieved at: https://www.britannica.com/place/Russia-Year-In-Review-2004

Background Information:

After first taking office in 1933 as America’s 32nd president, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, a Democrat, would eventually be elected to a record four terms in office. However, he was unable to fully complete his fourth term. Two years after his death, on March 21, 1947, Congress passed the 22nd Amendment to the US Constitution, stating that no person could be elected to the office of president more than twice. The amendment was ratified in 1951.

See, “FDR nominated for unprecedented third term,” History , Retrieved at: http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/fdr-nominated-for-unprecedented-third-term

Claim: “I have to tell you that President Medvedev performed independently all his functions. There was this division of functions according to the Constitution. I never interfered within his domain.”

A clear division of functions does indeed exist between the president and prime minister positions in Russia. See, “FACTBOX: Russian president and prime minister: who does what?,” Reuters (May 7, 2008). Retrieved at: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-russia-inauguration-president-duties-idUSL0718325420080507

However, the question remains how independent the Putin-Medvedev relationship actually was from 2008 to 2012, when Dmitry Medvedev served as President and Vladimir Putin served as Prime Minister. Western media consistently portrayed the two as friends, who at times experience tension regarding reforms proposed and implemented by President Medvedev, however, more specifically, western sources concurred that Prime Minister Putin was the one who called the shots in Russia. See, “Vladimir Putin Is Medvedev’s Friend – And Boss,” Dmitry Sidorov, Forbes (February, 23, 2009). Retrieved at: https://www.forbes.com/2009/02/23/russia-president-prime-minister-opinions-contributors_medvedev_putin.html

Background Information:

Dmitry Medvedev served as Russian President from 2008 to 2012, while also serving as Russian Prime Minister during Vladimir Putin’s terms as President. “Dmitry Medvedev, Fast Facts,” CNN (Aug. 30, 2016). Retrieved at: http://www.cnn.com/2012/12/26/world/europe/dmitry-medvedev---fast-facts/

Claim: “Five assassination attempts, I’m told. Not as much as Castro, whom I interviewed—I think he must have had 50—but there’s a legitimate 5 that I’ve heard about.”

Assassination attempts on Putin’s life are unclear and unverifiable. However, Cuban officials claim that the number of assassination attempts, also unverifiable, on Fidel Castro’s life reach upwards of 638. See, “Fidel Castro survived 600 assassination attempts, officials say,” Patrick Oppmann, CNN (November 26, 2016). Retrieved at: http://www.cnn.com/2016/08/12/americas/cuba-fidel-castro-at-90-after-assassination-plots/