You’ve probably seen it on a shelf or mentioned in a geopolitical podcast recently. The Wizard of the Kremlin (originally Le Mage du Kremlin) by Giuliano da Empoli has become a genuine phenomenon. It isn’t just another piece of political fiction. Honestly, it’s closer to a decoded map of how power actually functions inside the walls of the Moscow seat of government.
Politics is theater. We know this. But da Empoli takes that metaphor and makes it literal.
The book centers on a fictionalized version of Vladislav Surkov. In the novel, he's called Vadim Baranov. For years, Surkov was the real-life "Grey Cardinal" of the Russian state. He was a theater director before he was a political strategist. He understood that in a world of 24-hour news and social media, you don’t control people with censorship alone. You control them with confusion.
He created "non-linear warfare." He funded human rights groups and then funded the skinheads who attacked them. Why? To keep everyone guessing. To make sure the only constant was the "Tsar."
Why Everyone Is Obsessed With The Wizard of the Kremlin
Success leaves clues. Since its release in 2022, shortly after the invasion of Ukraine, this book has sold over a million copies in France alone. It won the Grand Prix du Roman from the Académie Française.
Why? Because it feels real.
Giuliano da Empoli isn't just a novelist. He was an advisor to former Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi. He knows what the inside of a "war room" smells like—the stale coffee, the desperate ego, the quiet terror of losing the leader's favor. When he writes about Baranov/Surkov, he’s writing about a type of man he has actually encountered in the halls of European power.
The book is basically a long, late-night conversation. Baranov narrates his rise and fall to a nameless visitor. It feels like a confession. It feels like a warning.
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The Real Vladislav Surkov vs. Vadim Baranov
Is it a biography? No. But it’s factually anchored in the reality of the Russian 1990s and 2000s.
In the real world, Vladislav Surkov was the architect of "sovereign democracy." He was the one who brought the aesthetics of the avant-garde to the brutal world of post-Soviet politics. He famously wrote a novel under a pseudonym (Almost Zero) while he was still working in the Kremlin.
The book captures the transition from the chaotic, booze-soaked Boris Yeltsin years to the cold, disciplined rise of "the Tsar."
It’s chilling.
You see the oligarchs of the 90s—men like Boris Berezovsky—thinking they can control the young former KGB officer they’ve put in power. They thought he was a puppet. They were wrong. The novel depicts this shift with a kind of surgical precision. It shows how the Kremlin stopped being a building and started being a state of mind.
How to Read the "Political Magic"
There’s a specific scene in The Wizard of the Kremlin that sticks with you. Baranov explains that in the West, we think politics is about solving problems. In the Kremlin, politics is about managing symbols.
If you can change the meaning of a word, you can change the reality of a country.
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- The Paradox of Choice: Baranov describes how they created a dozen fake political parties. Some were liberal, some were ultra-nationalist. It didn't matter. They were all controlled by the same office.
- The Power of Silence: The "Tsar" doesn't need to shout. He just needs to be the only person in the room whose opinion matters.
- Chaos as a Tool: By funding opposing sides of any conflict, the state ensures that no one can ever organize a coherent rebellion. Everyone is too busy fighting each other.
This isn't just Russian history. It’s a mirror for our own political reality in the West. We see the same tactics—polarized social media, "fake news," the cult of personality—happening in Washington, London, and Paris. That’s why the book is so popular. It explains our own headaches to us.
The Problem With Treating Fiction as Fact
We have to be careful.
Some critics, like those writing for The Financial Times or Le Monde, have pointed out that the book might be "too empathetic" to the Russian perspective. By making the "Wizard" such a brilliant, sophisticated intellectual, does da Empoli accidentally glamorize a regime that has committed horrific acts?
It’s a fair question.
The novel is a psychological study, not a moral judgment. It aims to explain how they think, not to say they are right. Understanding a predator’s movements doesn't mean you’re rooting for the shark.
The real Surkov eventually fell out of favor. He was dismissed in 2020. Life imitates art. Or maybe art just tracks the inevitable cycle of the courtier who becomes too clever for his own good.
What You Can Learn From This Narrative
If you want to understand the current geopolitical standoff, reading a dry white paper from a think tank might give you the numbers, but it won't give you the vibe.
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The Wizard of the Kremlin gives you the vibe.
It tells you that the people running these systems aren't just bureaucrats. They are often failed artists, disillusioned intellectuals, and men who are deeply, profoundly bored. They play with nations because they find the "real world" tedious.
It also highlights the fragility of it all. The more "magic" the Wizard has to perform to keep the public distracted, the more brittle the system becomes. Eventually, reality catches up. You can't spin a tank with a press release forever.
Essential Takeaways for the Curious Reader
If you're planning on picking up a copy or just want to sound smart at dinner, keep these things in mind:
- Look up the real Vladislav Surkov. Find his old interviews or his articles on "Sovereign Democracy." The overlap with the book is startling.
- Watch "HyperNormalisation" by Adam Curtis. This documentary covers similar ground regarding the use of confusion as a political tool in Russia and the West.
- Read between the lines of current news. When you see a bizarre, contradictory statement from a world leader, ask yourself: Is this a mistake, or is this a "Baranov move" designed to waste my energy?
- Pay attention to the setting. The descriptions of the Kremlin—the gold leaf, the silence, the fear—are based on real accounts from people who have been inside those rooms.
The book is a masterpiece of "faction." It bridges the gap between what we see on the news and what actually happens behind closed doors. It doesn't provide a happy ending, because in the world of high-stakes power, there rarely is one.
To truly grasp the power dynamics at play in Eastern Europe today, look past the headlines. The "wizardry" isn't about spells; it’s about the stories we are told and the stories we choose to believe. If you want to see the strings, read the book.
Next Steps for Deep Understanding
- Compare the Characters: Research Boris Berezovsky’s real-life exile in London to see how closely Baranov’s narrative follows the tragic arc of the 90s oligarchs.
- Analyze the Strategy: Look into the concept of "Reflexive Control," a Soviet-era military theory that serves as the foundation for the psychological warfare described in the novel.
- Track the Author: Follow Giuliano da Empoli’s recent lectures on the "Engine of Chaos" to understand how he views the intersection of technology and political manipulation in 2026.