Limited series · ZDF
The Godfather of St. Petersburg
The Nutevio profile
TV DNA
How The Godfather of St. Petersburg actually feels to watch, measured on the traits our editors track across every series.
Signature profile
The Godfather of St. Petersburg reads strongest on Serialized, Cliffhanger Intensity and Tension.
How much each hour depends on the one before it.
How often an episode ends on a hook you can't ignore.
The sustained pressure the series keeps you under.
Visual ambition — scale, craft and set-piece filmmaking.
The scale, internal logic and texture of the world.
How hard it is to stop after one episode.
How often the series is genuinely funny, by design.
How much the series is designed to affect you.
How fully written and psychologically layered the ensemble is.
The story
What it's about
In 2025, Vladimir Putin had already been in power for a quarter of a century. But how did his career begin? The documentary The Godfather of St. Petersburg takes viewers back to the 1990s—to a city marked by chaos, violence, and corruption. As deputy mayor, Putin forged close ties with intelligence services, businessmen, and notorious figures from the underworld. Out of these networks emerged the power structure that continues to define Russia today. Based on exclusive documents, eyewitness accounts, and previously unpublished material, the film reconstructs Putin’s rise and the creation of a system in which loyalty reigns supreme and criticism can be dangerous.
The craft
Key Crew
Directing, writing, production, camera, music and editing.
Direction
- Florian HuberDirector
- Johannes MüllerDirector
Where to watch
Streaming
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