http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull&cid=1090984581812

'Oligarchs': From Russia with cash
By BARRY DAVIS

For the Communist bloc, the late Eighties and early Nineties were an exciting and torrid time. The Berlin Wall came down, communism lost its grip on the reins of power, and the Soviet Union fell apart.

But, as the history books have repeatedly shown, there are always some who are alert enough to take full advantage of political upheavals.

In the mid-Nineties there were seven men in the Russian republic that emerged from the ashes of the USSR who were sharp-witted enough to make the most of the void between the dissipation of the old Communist centralized regime and the ensuing privatization process. Those seven became known as the "oligarchs" and are the subject of an eponymous Channel 10 miniseries being shown on Wednesdays at 9:45 p.m.

Work began on the documentary miniseries in 1996, when Russian-born Israeli director Alex Gentlev obtained permission to interview some of the oligarchs. The latter not only managed to amass enormous fortunes in double-quick time, but they were also instrumental in Boris Yeltsin's re-election to the Russian presidency. Considering the air of mystery that normally envelops the dealings of such powerful business barons, it is a wonder how Gentlev and producer Arik Bernstein gained access to the innermost circle of the Russian political hierarchy. "We invested a lot of time and effort in setting the whole thing up," says Gentlev. "We sent hundreds of faxes and spent hours on the phone. It took three months to get to [oligarch Boris] Berezovsky. It wasn't easy."

Gentlev and Bernstein's endeavors eventually bore spectacular fruit. There is fascinating footage of most of the oligarchs, who appear to speak freely - for the first time - about their business and political activities, and even some footage of Yeltsin during some more intimate moments, including shots of him and members of his closest circle playing tennis.

"I have a lot of friends in Russia who helped me," Gentlev continues.

The popularly held view of Russia's new well-to-do is that they are all, in one way or another, connected to the Mafia and that you need to have money to get anywhere near them. It seems Gentlev found a different route to his interviewees.

"The oligarchs are not part of a mafia, and I never paid anyone to get the interviews. Can you imagine paying any of the Oligarchs to get an interview? They are so rich, no amount could possibly be enough," he says.

Naturally, there is a Jewish-Israeli connection in there, too. Six of the original seven Oligarchs are Jewish and, according to Gentlev, all fostered ties with Israel.

Even without the Israeli connection, the miniseries is a remarkable document of an exceptional episode in modern history.

The Russian Economy -- Free Speech, September 1998

Marc Rich and the Rule of Law -- Free Speech, March 2001