Caption
A digital display stock index is seen in Lujiazui, China, on March 9, 2026. (Getty Images)
__Hudson Institute and the Kleptocracy Initiative would like to give special thanks to Valery Balayan, director of the film, for permission to screen Who Is Mr. Putin? at Hudson on April 27, 2016.__
Hudson Institute’s Kleptocracy Initiative hosted the first U.S. screening and English-language premiere of the film Who Is Mr. Putin? Based on investigations by independent journalists Anastasia Kirilenko and Vladimir Ivanidze, the film documents the origins of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s private wealth and subsequent rise to power.
The film has been lauded by experts for demonstrating how Putin's ascension to the Russian presidency is explained by an alliance built in the early 1990s between himself, certain friends from Leningrad's KGB, and mafia groups. Who Is Mr. Putin? was released in December 2015 and has already been viewed by more than 2 million Russian-speakers worldwide.
The screening was followed by a short panel discussion, moderated by Hudson Senior Fellow David Satter, featuring Anastasia Kirilenko, Karen Dawisha, and Ilya Zaslavskiy.
Related Events
24
April 2026
Past Event
Strains and Strength: The Future of the US-UK Alliance in a Time of War
Featured Speakers:
Joel Rayburn
Tobias Ellwood
24
April 2026
Past Event
Strains and Strength: The Future of the US-UK Alliance in a Time of War
Join the Hudson Institute for a timely conversation with former UK minister for the Middle East and North Africa and former minister of state for defence Tobias Ellwood, one of Britain’s most experienced voices on security and foreign policy.
Featured Speakers:
Joel Rayburn
Tobias Ellwood
27
April 2026
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
The Future of the Gulf: Commerce and Security in the Middle East After Operation Epic Fury
Featured Speakers:
Mike Gallagher
Jared Cohen
27
April 2026
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
The Future of the Gulf: Commerce and Security in the Middle East After Operation Epic Fury
Join Hudson Institute Distinguished Fellow Mike Gallagher for a fireside chat with Jared Cohen, president of global affairs at Goldman Sachs and co-head of the Goldman Sachs Global Institute, for a discussion on the future of the Persian Gulf.
Featured Speakers:
Mike Gallagher
Jared Cohen
29
April 2026
In-Person Event | Invite Only
Updating US Trade Policy: A Discussion on the Strategic and Economic Importance of Central Asia with Congressman Jimmy Panetta (D-CA)
Featured Speakers:
Ken Moriyasu
Congressman Jimmy Panetta
29
April 2026
In-Person Event | Invite Only
Updating US Trade Policy: A Discussion on the Strategic and Economic Importance of Central Asia with Congressman Jimmy Panetta (D-CA)
Please join Congressman Jimmy Panetta (D-CA) and Senior Fellow Ken Moriyasu for a discussion on Central Asia’s economic and strategic significance and why updating US trade policy is key to unlocking the region’s potential in an era of renewed great power competition.
Featured Speakers:
Ken Moriyasu
Congressman Jimmy Panetta
29
April 2026
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
Cuba: Prospects for Transition
Featured Speakers:
Daniel Batlle
Frank Calzon
29
April 2026
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
Cuba: Prospects for Transition
Join Hudson Institute for a conversation with Frank Calzon, a veteran human rights advocate and one of the foremost authorities on Cuban civil society, as we examine the state of the island, lessons from democratic transitions elsewhere, and prospects for the Trump administration’s Cuba strategy.
Featured Speakers:
Daniel Batlle
Frank Calzon
Related Research
Caption
People gather in front of the Chinese Consulate General to protest the unjust conviction of Jimmy Lai on February 14, 2026, in Los Angeles, California. (Getty Images)
Caption
Watchtowers are seen from a high-security facility near what is believed to be a re-education camp in northwest Xinjiang, China, on May 31, 2019. (Getty Images)
Caption
A woman holds up a sign that reads "anti-semitism kills" between police officers as people take part in a Hanukkah candle-lighting in central London on December 15, 2025. (Getty Images)
