Vladislav Surkov, the demiurge of the Kremlin, surprises us all by entering from behind the university auditorium, before taking the stage in front of an audience packed with doctorate students, professors, journalists and politicians. He is wearing a white t-shirt and leather jacket, falling halfway between Joy Division and a commissar from the 30s. ‘I am the author, or one of the authors, of the new Russian system.My portfolio at the Kremlin and in government has included ideology, media, political parties, religion, modernisation, innovation, foreign relations, and ...”—here he pauses and smiles—“modern art.” He decides not make a speech, but instead invites the audience to pose questions and have an open discussion with him. After the first question, he talks for almost 45 minutes, leaving hardly any time for others. It’s a demonstration of his political system in miniature: democratic rhetoric and undemocratic intent.
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Russian President Vladimir Putin (R), accompanied by Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, meets with US Secretary of State John Kerry (not pictured) at the Kremlin in Moscow on December 15, 2015.
