Registration REQUIRED by 4pm on November 13, 2025 in order to attend this event.
Please join the Program on U.S.-Russia Relations at the Harriman Institute for a book talk by Michael Calvey. Moderated by Elise Giuliano and Matthew Murray.
Michael Calvey’s “Odyssey Moscow: One American’s Journey from Russia Optimist to Prisoner of the State” is a gripping memoir that chronicles his transformation from celebrated US technology investor in Russia to a detainee in Moscow’s notorious Matrosskaya Tishina prison. Arrested on fabricated fraud charges amid a corporate dispute, Calvey offers a candid account of navigating Russia’s opaque legal system, contrasting his early optimism for the country with the stark realities of Russia today. Through poignant narratives of his cellmates and introspective reflections, Calvey sheds light on the complexities of modern Russia and the risks entrepreneurs face when political forces intervene.
Michael Calvey was a Founder and Co-Senior Partner of Baring Vostok, a private equity firm recognized for its early investments in several innovative and highly successful companies, including Yandex, Tinkoff, and Kaspi. Living in Moscow for almost three decades, he learned the language, married a Russian woman and forged an unmatched network of personal and business contacts. Today, he is Chairman of Baring Ventures, which sold all its Russian assets after Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine and now focuses on other international markets. He is a US citizen who splits his time between Switzerland and the UK.
