The Lancet published a commentary examining Giuliano da Empoli's 2022 novel "The Wizard of the Kremlin," which imagines a fictional former political advisor to Vladimir Putin recounting the Russian leader's rise from intelligence operative to dictator. The medical journal's "Offline" commentary series featured the literary analysis in its latest issue.
Da Empoli, who served as a political advisor to former Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi before becoming a writer, creates a principal character named Vadim Baranov in his novel. The fictional advisor provides perspective on political power structures through his imagined experiences in Putin's inner circle.