This book peers into the near future, when Russia is no longer ruled by Vladimir Putin. Already today—despite deep-seated fear—Putin’s entourage is quietly laying the groundwork for the inevitable power transition. Post-Putin Russia will remain haunted by the myths Putin cultivated and the political system he built—one determined to endure under new leadership. Understanding the inner workings of this regime, its strengths, and especially its vulnerabilities is therefore essential. The book offers a clear-eyed deconstruction of the Putin cult and the assumptions widely accepted as fact among observers. In any highly personalistic autocracy, the leader himself is the system's greatest liability. Yet paradoxically, the dead autocrat may become one of the most powerful tools for the survival of the post-Putin elite.