Russian oligarch 2004, Putin apparently engaged in a power-struggle with some oligarchs, reaching a "grand bargain" with them. This bargain allowed the oligarchs to maintain their powers, in exchange for their explicit support of – and alignment with – Putin's government. Many more business people have become oligarchs during Putin's time in power, and often due to personal relations with Putin, such as the rector of the institute where Putin obtained a degree in 1996, Vladimir Litvinenko, and Putin's childhood friend and judo-teacher Arkady Rotenberg. However, other analysts argue that the oligarchic structure has remained intact under Putin, with Putin devoting much
Rotenberg (hills) Rotenberg (hills) The Rotenberg is a hill range, up to 317.3 m high, in the Lower Saxon Hills in southeastern Lower Saxony, Germany. The Rotenberg ridge is oriented northwest-southeast and measures about 14 kilometres long by 2 kilometres wide. It lies in the district of Göttingen in the southeastern corner of the Lower Saxon Hills. It is located on the southwestern Harz Foreland roughly between Wulften to the northwest, Hattorf am Harz and Pöhlde to the north, Silkerode to the east, Rhumspringe and Gieboldehausen to the south and Bilshausen to the west. Somewhat further away are Osterode am Harz to