Downfall cover image

Downfall

Putin, Prigozhin, and the fight for the future of Russia

Listen to a sample

Get 30 days of Standard free

€6.99/mo after trial. Cancel monthly.
Try for €0.00
More purchase options

Downfall

By: Anna Arutunyan, Mark Galeotti
Narrated by: Mark Galeotti
Try for €0.00

€6.99 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for €16.83

Buy Now for €16.83

Season's Savings | 0.99 €/mo for 3 months

6.99 €/month thereafter - terms apply. Cancel monthly.

Brought to you by Penguin.

In the early years of Vladmir Putin’s Russia, Yevgeny Prigozhin emerged as one of the President’s most trusted assets. By 2023, he had become a dangerous warlord – and also one of Putin’s chief rivals in Russia’s tumultuous political climate, exiled after leading an attempted coup, and shortly after killed in a mysterious plane crash.

But what is the truth about this enigmatic figure, his role in the war with Ukraine, and the chaos unleashed across Russia by his turn against Putin? And, in the aftermath of his death, what is next for Russia in the new stage of late Putinism that Prigozhin’s life forged?

In a compelling tale that unravels a complex web of power, betrayal and recrimination, Downfall delves into the profound impact of Prigozhin on the heart and soul of a nation at a crossroads. Drawing on years of research, this book traces the rise of Russia's most prominent non-state actor and examines the political climate that propelled a convicted gangster with no government office to the formidable role he came to occupy. An essential story of Russia's recent history, Downfall is also a compelling insight into its likely future.

©2024 Anna Arutunyan & Mark Galeotti (P)2024 Penguin Audio

Modern Politicians Politics & Activism Politics & Government
adbl_web_anon_alc_button_suppression_t1

Critics' reviews

[Mark Galeotti and Anna Arutunyan] have penned not only a deeply interesting biography of Prigozhin, but also a penetrating account of Russia under Putin. Downfall is as much a biography of a system as a biography of a man.
A year after the failed uprising of Yevgeny Prigozhin and the mercenaries of the Wagner Company against the regime led by President Vladimir Putin, a book written by two of the greatest experts on Russia makes the biography of this character as violent as it is complex.
All stars
Most relevant
as usual the author gives some great insights into the wheelings and dealings within Russia and Wagner's mutiny.

The lookout into Russia's future and the impact Wagner's mutiny might have on it.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.