Mikhail Khodorkovsky is Russia’s most famous living dissident in exile. Once regarded as Russia’s richest man, he criticised endemic corruption at a televised meeting with President Putin in early 2003, was arrested later that year and sentenced to fourteen years in prison. Eventually released in December 2013 and forced into exile, he now lives in London. He established the Open Russia Foundation in 2001 with the aim of building and strengthening civil society in Russia, and he relaunched the Open Russia movement in September 2014. As the leader of the Russian opposition in exile, Khodorkovsky works to promote political reform in Russia and advocates an alternative vision for his country’s future.

"a blueprint for regime change"Peter Conradi, The Sunday Times"This rigorous blueprint for a bold new future in Russia makes for heartening and timely reading."Sydney Morning Herald"Mikhail Khodorkovsky still dares to hope for change. In this book he sets an ambitious goal: to provide a complete roadmap for creating a new, democratic Russia."Europe-Asia Studies

• Introduction: My Path into Politics and What I Hope to Achieve PART I: HOW DO YOU GET RID OF THE OLD DRAGON?1. The Strategy for Victory: Peaceful Protest, or Peaceful Uprising?2. Bringing the Protesters Together: Many Parties or a Single Party?3. How to Cultivate Protest: Go Underground or Emigrate?4. The Point of No Return: The Streets or the Commanding Heights?5. How to Organise the New Order: Constitutional Democracy or Democracy by Decree?6. How to Bring an End to the War: Fight to a Victorious Outcome, Capitulate or Seek a Compromise?7. How to Defeat an Internal Counter-Revolution: Purge the Old Guard or Try to Correct Them?8. How to Control the Man with a Gun: A Task for the Party or for the Secret Services?9. How to Create a Civil Service: Employ Our Own Weak Staff or the Best from Abroad?10. What’s Meant by “A Turn to the Left”: A Social Welfare State or a Socialist State?11. How Do We Achieve Economic Justice: Nationalisation or Honest Privatisation? PART II: HOW DO WE AVOID CREATING A NEW DRAGON?12. The Choice of Civilisation: An Empire or a Nation State?13. The Geopolitical Choice: To Be a Superpower or To Consider the National Interests?14. The Historical Choice: Muscovy or Gardarika (which has nothing to do with Gaidar)?15. The Political Choice: Democracy? Or a Return to the Terror of the Oprichnina?16. The Economic Choice: Monopoly or Competition?17. The Social Choice: A Turn to the Left or a Turn to the Right?18. The Intellectual Choice: A Word in Freedom or Glasnost on a Reservation?19. The Constitutional Choice: A Parliamentary Republic or a Presidential One?20. The Legal Choice: The Dictatorship of the Law or a State Based on the Rule of Law?21. The Moral Choice: Justice or Mercy? Conclusion: The Dragon in Custody

1. 4/5

   Komplicerade förhållandena Ryssland

   Spännande tankar om Rysslands framtid och hur vägen mot ett normaliserat tillståndsgiven Ryssland efter Putin. Tankar om politisk inriktning, information, demokratins uppbyggnad. Ryssland är ju ett jätteland rent geografiskt vilket inte gör en förändring lättare. Boken kan rekommenderas

   Hans K

   10 september 2025

Mikhail Khodorkovsky is Russia’s most famous living dissident in exile. Once regarded as Russia’s richest man, he criticised endemic corruption at a televised meeting with President Putin in early 2003, was arrested later that year and sentenced to fourteen years in prison. Eventually released in December 2013 and forced into exile, he now lives in London. He established the Open Russia Foundation in 2001 with the aim of building and strengthening civil society in Russia, and he relaunched the Open Russia movement in September 2014. As the leader of the Russian opposition in exile, Khodorkovsky works to promote political reform in Russia and advocates an alternative vision for his country’s future.

"a blueprint for regime change"Peter Conradi, The Sunday Times"This rigorous blueprint for a bold new future in Russia makes for heartening and timely reading."Sydney Morning Herald"Mikhail Khodorkovsky still dares to hope for change. In this book he sets an ambitious goal: to provide a complete roadmap for creating a new, democratic Russia."Europe-Asia Studies

• Introduction: My Path into Politics and What I Hope to Achieve PART I: HOW DO YOU GET RID OF THE OLD DRAGON?1. The Strategy for Victory: Peaceful Protest, or Peaceful Uprising?2. Bringing the Protesters Together: Many Parties or a Single Party?3. How to Cultivate Protest: Go Underground or Emigrate?4. The Point of No Return: The Streets or the Commanding Heights?5. How to Organise the New Order: Constitutional Democracy or Democracy by Decree?6. How to Bring an End to the War: Fight to a Victorious Outcome, Capitulate or Seek a Compromise?7. How to Defeat an Internal Counter-Revolution: Purge the Old Guard or Try to Correct Them?8. How to Control the Man with a Gun: A Task for the Party or for the Secret Services?9. How to Create a Civil Service: Employ Our Own Weak Staff or the Best from Abroad?10. What’s Meant by “A Turn to the Left”: A Social Welfare State or a Socialist State?11. How Do We Achieve Economic Justice: Nationalisation or Honest Privatisation? PART II: HOW DO WE AVOID CREATING A NEW DRAGON?12. The Choice of Civilisation: An Empire or a Nation State?13. The Geopolitical Choice: To Be a Superpower or To Consider the National Interests?14. The Historical Choice: Muscovy or Gardarika (which has nothing to do with Gaidar)?15. The Political Choice: Democracy? Or a Return to the Terror of the Oprichnina?16. The Economic Choice: Monopoly or Competition?17. The Social Choice: A Turn to the Left or a Turn to the Right?18. The Intellectual Choice: A Word in Freedom or Glasnost on a Reservation?19. The Constitutional Choice: A Parliamentary Republic or a Presidential One?20. The Legal Choice: The Dictatorship of the Law or a State Based on the Rule of Law?21. The Moral Choice: Justice or Mercy? Conclusion: The Dragon in Custody

1. 4/5

   Komplicerade förhållandena Ryssland

   Spännande tankar om Rysslands framtid och hur vägen mot ett normaliserat tillståndsgiven Ryssland efter Putin. Tankar om politisk inriktning, information, demokratins uppbyggnad. Ryssland är ju ett jätteland rent geografiskt vilket inte gör en förändring lättare. Boken kan rekommenderas

   Hans K

   10 september 2025