Blink Films is behind documentary feature Secrets of the Oligarch’s Wives, airing on Paramount+ next week.
The 90-minute film was produced with CBS News label See It Now Studios.
The women partners of the billionaires who put President Vladimir Putin in charge reveal the secrets of staying in the iron-willed dictator’s good graces and the price some have paid for speaking out. They paint a picture of a vengeful petty tyrant who saw treachery at every turn, forgave nothing, settled every score and was jealous of their lifestyles. They tell stories of corruption, betrayal and suspected murder.
“Whenever you make a contract with the devil, there will be consequences … If you deal with the dark side, it will come to haunt you later,” says Tatiana Fokina, whose partner Yevegny Chichvarkin was once worth over $1.5 billion. “Going to Russia now would be suicide for me,” she adds, saying that she knows what she’s said would get her thrown in jail.
“Putin would much prefer to have been an oligarch than to have been president,” says Alexandra Tolstoy, whose partner is oligarch Sergei Pugachev, once estimated to be worth $2 billion, and who was known as Putin’s “banker” until he fled into exile in London.
For Blink, Justine Kershaw, Laura Jones and David McNab are executive producers. Lynsey Neale is head of production.
For See It Now Studios, Susan Zirinsky and Terence Wrong are the executive producers, Aysu Saliba is the supervising producer and Adam Goldfried is the executive director. Amy Gardner and Carlin Miller are the associate producers.
Pippa Considine
Share this story
