The Rise and Fall of the Russian Oligarchs

From TVO (TV Ontario) The Human Edge

Size: 1.34 GiB (1442840998 Bytes) Spoken language(s): English Texted language(s): English

Freed from the shackles of communism in the 1990s, Russia seemed to be entering
an era of rebirth. But as is often the case in that country, history unfolded
harshly. For the majority of Russians, the transition to a market system was
painful and chaotic - and anything but democratic. Amid the confusion, a few
shrewd and ruthless businessmen exploited the loopholes in the Soviet economy
to make fast money, staving off a return to communist rule.

Nicknamed the oligarchs, these men, all billionaires, manoeuvred their way into
Russia's political inner circle during glasnost, are credited with Boris
Yeltsin's re-election in 1996, and suspected of anointing Vladimir Putin in
1999. They're powerful men with powerful enemies, and they continue to shape
Russian society.

Dizzying in its detail, The Rise and Fall of the Russian Oligarchs puts modern-
day Russia into perspective.