Patriarch Kirill of Moscow in 1997. In his 2002 interview with "Izvestia", Metropolitan Kirill called the allegations about his profiteering a political campaign against him. Alexander Pochinok who was the minister of taxes and levies (1999-2000), said in 2009 that Kirill had no involvement in the violations. Three female members of the feminist group Pussy Riot were arrested in March 2012 for performing a song in the Christ the Saviour Cathedral in Moscow during which they called on the Virgin Mary to "chase Putin out". The women were arrested for hooliganism and were later sentenced to two years' imprisonment. The song contained swear words
The Man Without a Face: The Unlikely Rise of Vladimir Putin The Man Without a Face: The Unlikely Rise of Vladimir Putin The Man Without a Face: The Unlikely Rise of Vladimir Putin is a 2012 book by Masha Gessen about Vladimir Putin and his rise to power and reign. It intertwines both a psychological and conspiratory approach written in clear and engaging language. Gessen is a Moscow native who understands the culture and psychology of Russia. Her family left Russia when she was a teenager, but she returned for a 10 year stay as an independent journalist. Gessen's analysis of Putin is mostly speculative, but she carefully investigates his own