|
Winston Churchill once called the Russian government “a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma”, this description is just as true of the present Russian government, as it was of Stalin. Since the fall of the Soviet Union, Russian politics and society have mutated in strange, paradoxical ways; economic growth has been massive but unequal, civil liberties and political dissent have been brutally curtailed, there has been the long and savage conflict in Chechnya, and yet Vladimir Putin enjoys overwhelming popularity…or at least that’s what we’ve been told.
Boris Berezovsky is the product of these bizarre times in Russian, history, and one of their most controversial figures. A scientist who became a billionaire during the post-Soviet capitalist explosion, he is one of the most visible and contentious of the Russion “oligarchs”. In recent years he has become a political dissident, fiercely criticising the Putin regime from his exile in London. He was a close friend of Alexander Litvenenko, and his life was considered under threat when he openly accused the Russian government of engineering the for spy’s murder in London last year. This will be Berezovsky’s first public appearance since his controversial remarks in The Guardian in April, purportedly affirming his support for armed resistance to Putin, and prompting the Russian government to seek his extradition.
Ed Stourton is one of Britain’s most respected journalists. A founder member of Channel 4, he has reported from Baghdad, Sarajevo, and Moscow. He currently presents the Today program on Radio 4.
This event is only open to Academy Members. All bookings must be made in advance by May 25.
|
