Vladimir Putin has plucked several role models from Russian history; from the tsarist-era Prime Minister Pyotr Stolypin to Soviet leader Yury Andropov and the early 20th-century philosopher Ivan Ilyin.
Observers have also likened Putin to Tsar Nicholas I, who came to power following the Decembrist uprising and recently -- and less flatteringly -- to Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev.
For this week's edition of The Power Vertical Podcast, I sat down with regular co-host Kirill Kobrin to discuss whether any of these figures help us understand Putin and his governing style.
Also on the podcast, Kirill and I discuss outgoing President Dmitry Medvedev's last meeting with journalists as head of state.
