Back to the Stalin Era? An Inside Look at the Russian Elites, with Farida Rustamova and Margarita Liutova

Podcast Episode

Back to the Stalin Era? An Inside Look at the Russian Elites, with Farida Rustamova and Margarita Liutova

Podcast host Alex Gabuev is joined by Farida Rustamova and Margarita Liutova, independent journalists and authors of the Faridaily English-language newsletter, to discuss the shocking suicide of Russia’s transport minister, Roman Starovoit, and what it tells us about the pressure inside Putin’s power system.

By Alexander Gabuev, Farida Rustamova, Margarita Liutova

Published on Jul 17, 2025

Since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, life for Russia’s rich and powerful has passed the point of no return. The recent suicide of Roman Starovoit is the first case in post-Soviet Russia of a cabinet minister taking their own life when faced with an investigation and possible prison term. For many, it has brought back memories of Joseph Stalin’s purges in the 1930s. How are members of the Russian elite processing Starovoit’s death? If the old rules of the game no longer apply, are there any new rules? How will the death affect Putin’s control over his power vertical?

Check out the newsletter Faridaily on Substack.

Alexandra Prokopenko's piece on Roman Starovoit's death.

Tatiana Stanovaya's piece on Russian elites.

Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.

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