For a long time, Vladislav Surkov served as the adviser and shadow man behind Russian President Vladimir Putin, exercising his powers behind the scenes, and Surkov is known as a talented aide and mastermind of geopolitical events, some even described him as "Rasputin Putin" but his most famous nickname was "the magician of the Kremlin."
Vladislav Surkov, the main theorist of "Putinism", is due to the invention of the hybrid of politics and war, which became the main feature of Putin's style of government. Surkov was previously the architect of Russia's policy on Ukraine. However, during 2020, he was abruptly dismissed from his post as presidential adviser and later disappeared from the political scene, raising a wave of questions.
Perhaps Putin's most dazzling character, is now being embodied by Vadim Baranov in the novel The Wizard of the Kremlin by Italian-Swiss writer, journalist, and politician Giuliano da Empoli, who was not originally a novelist.
The introductory text of the Arabic translation of the novel, recently published by the Arab Cultural Center, states that the novel plunges its readers into the heart of the story of Russian power "where everything goes well, but when things go wrong, it really gets really worse," and the introduction describes Moscow as "the most beautiful and sad great imperial capital" where people are "always flooded with light. No one has anything to hide from others. There is no café where to comment on newspapers. The news always changes according to the faint commentator."
But "no matter how vast this empire is, it is only a great prison, and the emperor who holds the keys is the guard. But guards don't live much better than prisoners. "The Russians have much less civility than they think they have."
Analysis of butinism
The author deals with historical scenes of Russian intervention, such as the bombing of Grozny in Chechnya and the bombing of Syrian Aleppo with brutal weapons, and also discusses some aspects of unhappiness in life inside contemporary Russia.
The novel, written before the war in Ukraine, said: "The Tsar's empire was born out of war, and it was natural that it eventually returned to war." Putin is referred to in the novel as the tsar, a politician who complements the Russian imperial tradition.
"The Wizard of the Kremlin" is the first work of fiction by Da Empoli, a political scientist who served as an adviser to former Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi and heads a pro-European think tank.
Da Empoli sees himself not as a specialist on Russia, but as an analyst of the power structure. Through Baranov's character, da Empoli created an imaginary and complex figure for a satirical thinker, whose skill and luck helped him navigate the chaotic post-Soviet years to join Putin's inner circle.
Putinism's transformations
For Arab readers, the novel is informative and enjoyably recounts a journey through Russia's history over the past 30 years. Various historical figures emerge including comrades in the army and Putin's opponents such as Boris Berezovsky and Mikhail Khodorkovsky, who were overthrown like chess pieces.
Their fate in the novel is intertwined with that of Baranov. However, they disappear from the story as soon as they progress on their journey. The novel includes some beautifully written scenes. In the novel, the author describes the fall of Boris Yeltsin (Russia's first post-Soviet president) in a satirical way in a confrontation with then-US President Bill Clinton.
Another historical scene in the novel documents Putin's cold transformation, the moment when he confronts former German Chancellor Angela Merkel, known for her fear of big dogs, with his dog Labrador. "This is the moment when the tsar decides to take off his gloves and start playing the game he learned in Leningrad," the novel reads.
Ironically, after Baranov's departure, Labrador's dog remains the only adviser to the president "whom Putin fully trusts." Da Empoli's idea of delving into a world and ideas of a strong personality through the personality of an adviser is not innovative, but its application to the case of the Russian president may be somewhat new.
"The Wizard of the Kremlin" was the fifth bestseller in France in 2022. He received an award from the Académie française. The novel was praised by a large number of politicians and diplomats.