The Putin Files: Yevgenia Albats 

Saw her recent interview. She’s still in Moscow and did the interview from there, so very, very risky. The interviewer asked if she was scared, and she said it was too late to be scared. I don’t think I could ever be as brave as this woman. I greatly admire her.

What a brilliant interview on insight into Putin and Russia. Stay safe, Yevgenia Albats...this was priceless. We need journalists like you. Thank you for your bravery and dedication to exposure of the truth.

Now THIS is journalism. Great job PBS. I especially like the interview style. Great questions, and knowing when to be quiet and listen.

This is probably the saddest interview I’ve maybe ever listened to. I wish every member of the State would be forced to listen to this. She proved the point of why We must do better. We have to fix our situation at home by respecting the rights of minorities and clean up our governmental integrity. She also brings an understanding of how easily We could lose our freedoms if We don’t do everything possible to preserve it.

It’s incredibly unfair that this conversation only has 152K views. Out of all the Putin File interviews the in depth knowledge of both Russia and American politics is on a different level in both understanding and depth. Thank you PBS, this is a must must watch/listen.

What a sweetheart this woman. She truly is someone you could love, simply for how straightforward, honest, smart and intelligent she is. She (now, at the age she is) is the aunt, the grandmother anyone would wish he or she would have. A person who always knows how it stands, who cannot be fooled, but is not above sitting with you and explaining things in simple words to a simpler soul than she is herself.

What an amazing woman; this was so thoroughly stimulating and is a teaching moment but unfortunately those that need to sit and listen to how life and its prospects are in Russia, will never hear her. Thank you Frontline and Ms. Albats for sharing so much.

this is a brilliant interview. It's so good to listen to someone who knows what she's talking about

Just saw this interview today, March 2022, 11 days into Putin’s War. This is mandatory knowledge & Ms. Albats so articulates this beautifully. I was in tears around 1:19:00 or so when she talks about individual happiness & how incredible this is a concept of democracy is. That no leader in her country ever considered the happiness of their people. This is Russia’s fatal flaw…it is not the people…their leadership has been selfish, power hungry & cynical.

Excellent. This lady knows her subject from A to Z. I don't want outlines. I want people who are steeped in their subject. Unfortunately, we live in an age of outlines and superficiality.

Bravo, Yevgenia. @1:24:15 I am in tears. Thank you so much for sharing all this.

Quite good. My favorite of all the interviews because I learned the most from her. A very smart lady.

I love this lady a lot. Brave and intelligent. I hope for the best. There are brilliant people in Russia, but Putin and his ilk undermined everything, everyone who could move this society in the modern world.

Евгения Марковна, смотрю и наслаждаюсь Вашим интервью. Спасибо большое за мужество, глубокий анализ и прекрасное знание предмета!

Who's watching this in February 2022? 🙋‍♀️

First commentator who really nails it, who describes perfectly who is Putin.

I was born and grown in Soviet Union - all she told about KGB power and activity is true. They were in charge for what is right and what is wrong for the Soviet State, they shaped the internal and external policy through direct control of the media and they fed info to the Soviet Government.

That's a breathtakingly thorough analysis. She absolutely nailed it.

Brilliant interview. I found her point about the utility of competing intelligence agencies rather than a unified agency to be especially pertinent.

OMG She nail it when she said "Putin is a Stalinist"...I have the same perspective on him. I adore this women she is so brilliant and brave.. All of the people interview in this documentary are so brave.

Very provocative interview, most credible reportage that merits an excellent-factual conclusion that merits acknowledgment .👏👏👏

Like many, I am here in the midst of the Russian invasion on Ukraine, trying to understand the man behind the madness. These interviews are FASCINATING, I recommend watching them all. That said, she is the first person, I believe, to say that Putin does not believe in 'free will', that everyone is corrupt or corruptible, and are unable to decide for themselves what kind of society they want to live in. Mind blowing to me.

Brilliant interview! I watched and read alot about Russia, Putin, Oligarchs but this is by far the most insightful!

1:39. "He may become a very very dangerous man for mankind." And here we are 5 years later. Pray God for peace in Ukraine and the downfall of corrupt government everywhere.

I want all Russians to be free and happy .

Unbelievable how actual it is what Ms. Albats said 4 years ago. Amazing person, I very much admire her and I hope she will stay safe.

One of the last remaining real journalists in Russia. They just closed access to her newspaper website on 27th February, 2022. Now she's live-streaming interviews on RU-vid.

I am truly in awe of this woman's courage to speak as she did INSIDE a country where journalists who draw the wrath of Putin have been harassed, beaten, jailed and murdered. Never before have I appreciated just how vital a role American played for people of the world for whom a life free of oppression is an extremely unlikely possibility, a mere dream. YET, though but a dream, it is a life-line of hope. Ms. Albats has shown me that far from being a corny relic from a naive and corny "Leave It To Beaver" age, the Statue of Liberty remains a POWERFUL icon throughout the globe. No matter how distant, her faint flickering flame beams the hope of future freedom - a hope without which SO many might slip into the darkness of despair. How deservedly ASHAMED I feel at my thoughtless indifference, my taking for granted that which was paid for with blood - our freedom. that is denied to so many. Before now, my not uncommon responses to our current slapstick politics were a mix of astonishment, embarrassment, indignation and rage - all colored with a tinge of resentment, as if it were all a personal affront, as if my sense of entitlement were under attack from decidedly unworthy quarters. NOW, humbled by the words of this brave woman, I feel this self-centered and superficial outlook dissolve. I'm sitting here thinking how much MORE devastating Trump's attack on American institutions and values have been for the world's oppressed. How could I think it okay to just whine and grumble about this? Is making facile jokes online my response to a vicious assault on the hopes of a helpless humanity? These people are in FAR greater peril that I am; for their entire lives they could count on no-one and nothing except AMERICA to champion their struggle for freedom. This is NOT just corny - it is REAL, it is HAPPENING and I need to figure out what to DO. Please forgive me, Yevgenia and thank you.

Completely enjoyed this conversation. She has a very deep and adroit knowledge of the Russian people and the Russian state. Great interview! Especially with what is going on in history at the moment.

Wow! This woman knows her subject in and out. The depth of her research is projected by how well she connects events around a man and his life.

Comprehensive and deep analysis. Much appreciated

I am really impressed with the entire Putin File series! There is one question burning, especially now, these are insightful reflections, is there an upload, how best to get rid (the sooner the better) of Putin & his inhumane regime?

I am so grateful to Frontline;’s exploration of this topic, the excellent questions raised and the depth of reflection and response of facts given by these journalists. Wow!

She's speaking truth to power..just watched CNN and God bless her I hope all is well 🙏 ❤

She is excellent journalism everything just makes sense also she is brave as well.

A truly brilliant woman,

1:03:10 Respect for this journalist...

Wow!! She is an epitome of a smart and confident woman!!

Strong women. Strong interview. I am afraid for her now.

She is outstanding. Her recall is fabulous.

I always find it interesting how many authoritarian countries refer to themselves, or rather their country as the "Democratic" Republic of such and such... If the name of the country includes the word Democratic it seems like a clear sign that they're anything but democratic.

...imagine that? Thank you Ms. Yevgenia Albats. Thank you Ollie.

Creating cynicism about our democracy served putin as validation of his view that democracy is a facade.

At 1.39- her premonition IS SPOT ON -As of TODAY.

I love this woman! I think I want to apply for jobs in New Zealand too. I hope to meet Yevgenia there! Dobry!!

She came out on MSNBC this last week and described the continuation of the KBG state with Putin. Says she is so ashamed right now and feels like a failure.

Good gracious, this interview was so tragically prophetic that it's scary. Putin clearly underestimated the horrific consequences of going to war against Ukraine. And as an American, it makes me sad that my country is no longer seen as the global defender of democratic values. We squandered our power and moral high ground in Iraq while failing to help Myanmar's democratic movement, for example.

what an excellent, excellent interview. up there with masha gessen's and julia ioffe's in terms of level of knowledge and insight, but sadly not nearly as many views! especially her statement that putin is a stalinist, and her prescience that starts around @1:36:00. saying he is preparing for another war. that he's like a north korean dictator. that "he may become a very dangerous man for the future of mankind". that was her last official statement as a part of this interview! (the next question is from a secondary interviewer; at this point she thought the interview was over.) this is back in 2017, 5 years ago! i could say so much more, but lastly, @1:21:32 when she speaks of having read our founding fathers, the federalist papers, that she has a copy of the US constitution and bill of rights on her desk... it brought tears to my eyes. how many of us americans have done so? how many of us appreciate what we have, as imperfect as it may be? we only appreciate what we had, once we lose it (or are starting to lose it, which we are now, with basically one party that still believes in democracy, and one party whose most likely 2024 presidential candidate just asked putin to hack the elections for him, again).

Yup. She’s in Moscu. The best way to listen to these is to pick a room in your apartment that needs to be painted. Clear the furniture, sweep it, put this on an start painting while listening.

THE MOST MEMORABLE OF ALL INTERVIEWEES FOR ME ANYWAY.

What a powerful interview and is representative of why I appreciatate Frontline as I do. Yevgenia Albots is insightful and gave me much to think about, to reconsider and be appreciative of as an American. My sincerest thanks to her for this interview.

From 1:16:17 I cannot hold my tears any more.

This is a great talk. Thanks a lot!! This is such a brave and intelligent woman. She was so right when she said that Putin is a very, very dangerous man. We see it with our own eyes...

She understands the appeal of America more than most Americans.

Impressive interview. One of the best in this series.

This lady has more American values, than most Americans I know.

1:20ish… 😭😭😭We underestimate the importance of how we look to the world of maintaining our ideals.

Wonderful interview. Thank you. Prayers she is well.

Wow. What a fascinating interview! An interesting person on many levels.

She is great. Great and very fast thinker. Her English is slightly rusty because she mostly lives in Russia, I assume.

Everyone should listen to this interview. She is extremely knowledgeable. An incredible resource.

Extremely disturbing. This is 4 years old, this is not the first interview I've watched regarding Putin's State of mind which seems very consistent as apposed to some ideas that his isolation from the pandemic is giving him a false sense of reality. it seems also that what have really seemed as bombastic threats to nato and conquest by the upper echelon of leadership in the last week and seemed irrational and impossible really seem real now and they aren talking long game. The intent is quite real.

On this 8th of March, here we have this extremely brave, great woman journalist who reminds us Putin is a professional lier...may you stay safe and go on giving us words of truth

Thank you so much for these brilliant interviews which are crucial to educate the public, especially at the times we're living!

Thank you for all your efforts .

The russian soul is full of pessimistic sadness.

The more I listen to these the more I think We understand Putin and Russia better than they understand America.

Ya...we want insider knowledge not outsider historians.... This is great

nothing I've observed gives greater insight into Putin and his Oligarchy. this expert must be employed by our intelligence community. she has a broad and fascinating perspective. her analysis seems both anchored in history and practical.

For a month now - since invasion of Putin into Ukraine - I've been posting a long-ish comment about my perception - as a latvian - about Putin. Once, and once and once again - I'm scared how truthful it is - and how well it coincides with words and evaluations of many experts (I'm not, of course) on Russia - inter alia - of this great, great woman - who speaks on a completely another level - but who understands Russia better than most - even accounting for millions of russians themselves. By the way - just read some comments saying she's still well - and still in Russia. Wish her all the best. The month-old comment now reads as follows: What the world needs to understand - and can't seem to, so far - is that Putin is a sick ego maniac the scale of which the world has not seen since Hitler and Stalin. Of course - there are people like Idi Ammin, Muamar Gadaffi, Sadam Hussein and many more in terms of disregard of human life on the throne of (sickly imagined) personal benefit - but among all of them, only Vladimir Putin has the means (the largest country on earth, a superpower) to execute his sickly "revenge" plans on the West - and on the world - which started hatching, probably, somewhere from the moment of loss of his two elder brothers - to the moment he was stationed and "left behind" in Eastern/Western Germany as a KGB agent (more on that - documentary by russian/US journalist Julia Loffe called "Putin files" on RU-vid). He's a scrappy guy who has no naivity, no regard or care for "talks", diplomacy, pleading, decency, morality, values. He SAYS AND DOES WHAT AND HOW HE WANTS. This was, time and once again, seen during the gathering period of troops for several months on the Ukrainian border - when he was openly ridiculing and bluntly lying in face of all of the world. President Biden said - no, I don't believe the pictures of APCs retrieving back from border are real - and Putin was probably giggling a sickly grin somewhere - saying - good boy, Biden, well noticed, good boy. The problem with the first invasion of 2014 was that he was testing the world - does it care - and how much, apart from giving a "like" in Facebook or youtube - about Ukraine? And after 8 years of no problems occupying Crimean peninsula and swaths of land in East Ukraine - he understood - naah, the world doesn't care much at all. So - he gathers resources for 8 years - and cablamo, still no one cares - here we go, killing people, civilians, murdering pregnant mothers, slaughtering children and his own servicemen. Does Putin care what he says? Does he care the world "sees" that his "targeting military infrastructure only" is a complete lie? Does he care that calling Ukrainians nazists and drug addicts is BS only idiots could believe? NO! Because he has been feeding the majority of Russians his propoganda for decades - no one seemed to be minding, by and large - can he proclaim and postulate anything he wants? ABSOLUTELY! What does he have to lose? NOTHING! ABSOLUTELY NOTHING! He''s known about all the possible sanctions, about disconnecting SWIFT, about not cooperating with Russia, about closing bank accounts, sports events, companies, etc., etc. - for at least 8 years. HE DOES NOT CARE! He is that small ego-centric sicko kid in the playground - whose mentally disturbed resolve only strengthens with every objection - only his toys are mothers, soldiers, children, lives, futures and dreams - under some sick pretense. The only thing Hussein, Ammin, Gadaffi, Assad, bin Laden, HItler and Putin understand or take into account - is blunt immediate force. Once again - the appeasement policy prior to WWII in respect to Hitler - did not work. Are countries like US, Germany, France, UK - and others - willing to take the same bet now?

👍please keep educating - I am glad that she did not try to play down his intelligence as some have done in other presentations that I have seen- dangerous openings are left when people are underestimated ... prescient as we enter 2022

She doesn’t say WHY trump and putin get along though and if kompromat exists. That being said, she should be Russia’s new president or prime minister lol.

Got to love her! What a fascinating interview.

She’s brilliant wow so much knowledge

My husband toured the Soviet Union, just before it's breakup, on a photo assignment. When he returned, he said that most Russian people were living in abject poverty. The Russian Mafia was everywhere and could provide anything if you had the money to buy it. He has photographs of people lined up to get a Macdonald's hamburger and you cannot see the end of the line.

An incredibile interview. Especially now.

Brave, clear, thoughtful. More please!

Brave. Intelligent. Very, very tough.

So intellegent. I'm glad Yevgenia lives in the U.S.

god, the end of this is ominous

Man her sarcastic Russian humor is so, so fiiine.

I would love to hear an interview with his ex wife .

That woman is incredibly brave and really sharp.

If I was hearing her describing how dangerous Putin will be for the world, I would want to hear more on that topic...much more.

Putin's dad was in SMERSH, and the interviewer changes the subject???

Knowledgeable woman

i hope she safe ..

It reminds me of kite flying competition in an elementary school. Building one and flying it was not as simple as it appeared. In my case I build an only one of a box design. It never took off the ground. The reason was very simple, as bunch of unruly kids were running amock cutting the lines with the shaving razors. Go figure out what would these kids become when adults. Most likekly bunch of tugs. Nothing based on merrit but everything on deception of any kind. Festering pool of rats to put it planely. KGB types.

She is so right! Sorry Frontline!!!!

Madam, thank you, I have learned something tonight 🇨🇦

What she says about Putler not using (the) internet, is a key piece of information on understanding the dictator nowadays... and his spokespersons too. Only by not looking at the facts and not seeing them can he (and representatives of his) deny them with so much conviction and lie in such a blatant manner.

Currently reading Annie Jacobson's 'DARPA' and just hit the chapter describing how Soviets/Russia poured massive amounts of funds and talent into researching Black Plague v2....oh, and hung onto their stocks of Smallpox despite the unilateral treaty to eradicate it. That's what I want in a tyrant....Access to Super Plague. No joke.

brilliant

Wow, please go to New Zealand, I do appreciate the dialog though

These are the best interviews ever!

is it possible to make a translation in another language and use the video? I think this is a very important video and has to be seen by my own people.

Ironic given current events

Lol I just watched this front to back. amazing

I would be worried for her safety, surely Russia won't allow her to live much longer with all the information she is divulging. I hope she stays safe.

Thanks for your honesty