MQ Talks: Philipp Blom in Conversation with Mikhail Zygar

Mikhail Viktorovich Zygar is a journalist, historian, and bestselling author, known for his work on Russian politics, propaganda, and authoritarianism. He was the founding editor-in-chief of TV Rain (Dozhd), Russia’s only independent news television channel, which became a critical voice against state censorship before he was forced into exile.

Zygar is the author of several internationally acclaimed books, including “All the Kremlin’s Men“, a bestseller that provides an insider’s account of Vladimir Putin’s inner circle; “The Empire Must Die“, a deeply researched narrative on the fall of the Russian Empire and the revolutionary forces of the early 20th century; and “War and Punishment“, which was named one of The New Yorker’s best nonfiction books of 2023. His books have been translated into multiple languages and are widely used in academic and journalistic discussions on Russia.

His latest book, “Die Zukunft, die nie kam. Wie der Zerfall der Sowjetunion bis heute nachwirkt“ (The Future That Never Came: How the Collapse of the Soviet Union Continues to Resonate Today), will be published by Aufbau Verlag in mid-May. Zygar explains why the Soviet Union did not simply disappear, why the Cold War never truly ended, and how imperial myths and nationalist ideas from the Soviet era continue to influence the war against Ukraine today. Above all, he reveals how these ideologies paved the way for today’s authoritarian system.

Since moving to the United States, Zygar has become a leading commentator on Russian affairs and regularly contributes op-eds to The New York Times, Time Magazine, Vanity Fair, Foreign Affairs, and The Washington Post. He also frequently appears as an expert on CNN, where he analyzes Russia and global political developments. In 2018, he was a TED Fellow and gave a TED Talk on history, propaganda, and disinformation.

Zygar holds a PhD in Media Studies from the University of Portsmouth and degrees from MGIMO and Cairo University. He has lectured at leading universities, including Harvard, MIT, Columbia, Georgetown, and Stanford. In 2024, he taught at Princeton University’s School of Public and International Affairs.

He has lectured at different universities, including Harvard, MIT, Georgetown, and Stanford. In 2024, he taught at Princeton University’s School of Public and International Affairs in the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY; Zygar was a participant in the 2025 Yale World Fellows Program, a global leadership initiative at Yale.

Philipp Blom (born in 1970 in Hamburg, Germany) is a historian and the author of several novels, as well as journalistic, political, and philosophical works. He also works as a radio host, documentary filmmaker, and public lecturer.

• Registration required.
• The event will take place in English.