He was the man behind Putin's image. (Reuters/ITAR-TASS/Kremlin Press Service)
RT: Media tycoon & former Russian press minister Lesin dies from heart attack at 57
Mikhail Lesin, a prominent Russian political figure and mass media expert credited with inspiring the creation of Russia Today (now RT), has died in Washington, DC after a heart attack.
Lesin, a former press minister and ex-head of Gazprom-Media, Russia’s largest media holding, died at the age of 57 on Wednesday, according to family members. “Mikhail Lesin died from a heart stroke,” a family member told RIA Novosti.
Meanwhile, TASS has reported that Lesin was found dead in his hotel room in Washington, DC, citing the Russian Embassy in the US. Police found no signs of foul play, but a formal investigation has been launched. It has been reported that Lesin had been suffering from a prolonged unidentified illness.
WNU Editor: There are two men that I credit who have helped put Putin where he is today .... Mikhail Lesin is one of them (the other person is Vladislav Surkov)
More News On The Death Of Mikhail Lesin
Former Russian Press Minister Mikhail Lesin Dies Aged 57 -- Sputnik
Former Russian press minister Lesin dies in Washington -- Reuters
Putin Associate Found Dead in DC Hotel -- ABC News
Former Putin aide Mikhail Lesin found dead in US hotel -- BBC
Former Putin Aide Mikhail Lesin Found Dead at D.C. Hotel -- WSJ
Mikhail Lesin, Former Putin Aide And Media Mogul, Found Dead In A Washington Hotel -- IBTimes
Russian millionaire found dead in Washington, D.C. hotel -- USA Today
The man behind Vladimir Putin’s control of Russian media was found mysteriously dead in a Washington hotel -- Quartz