Stanislav Belkovsky
Stanislav Alexandrovich Belkovsky is a Russian political analyst and communication specialist. He is a founder and director of the National Strategy Institute. He considers himself to be of Russian, Ukrainian, Polish and Jewish ethnicity. He is best known for his theatrical demeanor, humorous comportment, and deadpan style. In interviews and public talks, Belkovsky's trademark is mixing fast-paced political discussion with almost-nonsensical, absurdist statements laced with sarcasm, calling into question how 'serious' the preceding analysis was.
Belkovsky is a commentator on a variety of political issues, including Russian oligarchs, such as Mikhail Khodorkovsky. In 2003 Belkovsky co-authored a paper entitled "State and Oligarchy" which many considered as the ideological justification of Mikhail Khodorkovsky's arrest and trial. In 2005 Belkovsky announced that he is co-authoring a book with Eduard Limonov, at the time the head of the National-Bolshevik Party.
Belkovsky has published allegations about Vladimir Putin's personal wealth, according to which Putin "controls a 4.5% stake in Gazprom, 37% in Surgutneftegaz" as well as 50% in the oil-trading company Gunvor run by his close friend Gennady Timchenko. He authored the journalistic cliché "Puting", derived from the name of Russia's president from 2000-2008 and 2012–present, to denote the process of the renationalisation of Russia's oil industry assets.
