Mikhail Zygar
- Undergraduate Capstone Faculty
Author, Commentator and Media Entrepreneur
About
Mikhail Zygar is a journalist, historian, and best-selling 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 until he was forced into exile. Zygar is the author of several internationally acclaimed books, including All the Kremlin’s Men, a best-seller 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.
Zygar is a leading commentator on Russian affairs, regularly contributing op-eds to The New York Times, Time Magazine, Vanity Fair, Foreign Affairs, and The Washington Post. He is also a frequent guest on CNN, providing expert analysis on Russia and global politics. 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 and, in 2025, at Columbia University.