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May 2022
2m 50s

Introducing: Londongrad

TORTOISE MEDIA
About this episode

Season 1 of Londongrad: How the Lebedevs partied their way to power is a 6 part series investigating two men who are at the heart of the story of Britain opening its doors to Russian oligarchs. Alexander Lebedev is a former KGB officer. He’s the man with the money and - as we’ll see - with the plan. Alexander’s son, Evgeny, rose from a fixture on the social scene to a seat in the House of Lords. He did it with Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s help and against the advice of the security services. There’s never been a story quite like it. 


Launching Thursday 2nd June, with episodes dropping weekly. Tortoise members and Tortoise+ subscribers on Apple Podcasts can exclusively listen to the first three episodes. Just subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts or join Tortoise as a member, where you will also get to more of our investigations into Londongrad, as well as invites to exclusive events. For half price digital membership for £50 go to tortoisemedia.com/londongrad and enter the code Paul50.


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Up next
Jun 2022
Londongrad episode 1: The advance party
Britain prides itself on being impregnable; a country which hasn’t been invaded for 1000 years and can’t be bought. The Lebedevs give the lie to all that. They spent a lot, but not a fortune, buying their way into British public life. And they did it in a way which perhaps nobody ... Show More
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Jun 2022
Londongrad episode 2: The Royal Borough of Kensington and Moscow
The oligarchs who made their way to London in the early 2000s and changed it presented themselves as embodiments of the new Russia; members of the global elite, and arms-length beneficiaries of Vladimir Putin’s new order, not slaves to it. Those were the terms on which Britain le ... Show More
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Jun 2022
Londongrad episode 3: Project Venus
There comes a moment in any successful invasion of a country when you can no longer hide, your plans have to become obvious. It’s a moment of jeopardy but if you can get through it - as Alexander and Evgeny Lebedev did in Britain when they bought first the Evening Standard and la ... Show More
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