Educational Media Reviews Online

How does a man with no political experience and even less name recognition rise to the highest position in Russia and become beloved by the masses? For Vladimir Putin it was his ability to work within a corrupt political system and manipulate the media and the masses. How Putin Came to Power traces the political events, corruption and manipulation of both the media and voting population that led to Putin’s rise to the position of President of the Russian Federation.

During the presidency of Boris Yeltsin the Kremlin underwent a monumental restoration effort. This restoration process resulted in both Russian and foreign companies receiving contracts to undertake the work. Unfortunately, like most large-scale projects, the Kremlin restoration went over budget. Unlike most restoration efforts, the use of Swiss bank accounts for payment of services raised questions that this restoration project was a front for a large-scale money laundering scheme. Swiss investigators contacted the Russian Prosecutor General to launch an investigation of his own. With Boris Yeltsin’s declining health and his administration embroiled in a corruption scandal, his closest advisors began the process to hand pick a successor. After the appointment of two Prime Ministers who were not loyal to Yeltsin, Putin showed his loyalty when he used his post as Director of Russia’s Federal Security Service to end the investigation in the money laundering scheme and corruption in Yeltsin’s administration. This single act propelled him into the post of Prime Minister. After using military campaigns against Chechen terrorists to raise his political name, Putin was able to win the office of President of the Russian Federation along with a second term. Many of Yeltsin’s advisors believed Putin was a political pawn but soon found that he had his own vision for Russia that proved popular with the populace.

This is an intriguing and detailed story of how one man was able to manipulate a corrupt political system for his advantage. Narration is in English with English subtitles for interviews with key figures in this story. Audio and video production are excellent. This film is recommended for all public and academic library collections that supports users interested in modern Russian politics.

Awards

• Awards Official Jury Prize and Students Jury Prize, 2005 Pessac International Festival of History Films