Former top Kremlin ideologue Vladimir Surkov kept a photo of Barack Obama in his office
In 1988, Rodnyansky first saw the future Kremlin ideologist Vladislav Surkov at a gathering of Russian rock fans in Kyiv. At the time, the Ukrainian capital was home to a vibrant community that regularly attracted visiting Russian rock enthusiasts, who would gather to listen to music, smoke weed, and talk for hours. By today’s standards, it was a familiar scene, but back then, they stood out as true “Westernizers” — free-spirited and defiant.
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According to Rodnyansky, even when he later became the Kremlin’s shadowy power broker, Surkov “remained true to the spirit of rock ’n’ roll for many years.” His office in the presidential administration building featured photos of John Lennon, Tupac Shakur, Che Guevara, and Barack Obama. While managing the Kremlin’s ideological strategy, he also wrote songs with Vadim Samoylov, co-founder of the rock back Agatha Christie, and published a provocative novel under a pseudonym titled Almost Zero.