Book about Putin’s private life which ‘reads like a spy novel’ wins French literary prize

Exiled Russian Journalists' Putin Exposé Wins New French Literary Prize

A book about Vladimir Putin's rise to power and private life, written by two exiled Russian journalists, has won a newly established French literary prize. The work, titled The Tsar in Propria Persona: How Vladimir Putin Deceived Us All, draws on more than two decades of investigative reporting by Roman Badanin and Mikhail Rubin.

The book received the Prix Strasbourg, an award launched by EBRA, France's largest regional newspaper group, and its parent company Crédit Mutuel Alliance Fédérale. The award was presented on Tuesday, according to the two reports covering the announcement.

The jury praised the book, saying it reads "like a spy novel" and describing it as a "fascinating and shocking work about a figure who is himself fascinating and shocking." The authors conducted "several hundred interviews with witnesses, some of whom later disappeared under tragic circumstances," the jury added.

The book is expected to be published in France next month, according to one report, while another says it is due for release in September.

Badanin is the founder and editor-in-chief of Proekt, an investigative media outlet created in 2018. One report notes that both Badanin and Rubin, his deputy at Proekt, live in the United States after coming under pressure in Russia, though this detail appears in only one of the two accounts.

Badanin said the authors wanted foreigners to read the book and learn "actual facts" about Putin and the system he had built. "The message we wanted to convey with this book is as follows: there is no need to invent anything about Putin. Instead, learn how things really are. That is horrifying enough," he said. "Only a genuine understanding of the facts can help us make sound assessments, respond effectively, and plan for the future of relations between nations."

One report adds that when the book's Russian edition was published in 2025, the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) said Badanin and Rubin broke a Kremlin-imposed taboo about Putin's private life "at great personal risk." The same report describes the book as contrasting "the official image of the Russian president, now in his 26th year in power, as a leading defender of traditional values against Western decadence" with "the reality of his private life – where extramarital affairs, nepotism, and connections to organised crime reign." These details appear only in that single account.

The same report also notes that the prize, launched in 2026, seeks to distinguish itself through its substantial endowment, with €20,000 (S$29,634) awarded to the overall winner and €55,000 distributed across all categories. It also names Haitian author Thelyson Orelien and French journalist Marion Dubreuil as other prize winners.

The disparity in details between the two reports—such as the publication date and the additional background on the authors and prize—reflects the varying depth of coverage. Both accounts, however, agree on the core facts: the book's title, its authors, the prize name, and the jury's characterization of the work.