From Russian opposition leader and former political prisoner Vladimir Kara-Murza, the extraordinary account of his career, persecution, and resistance as Vladimir Putin transformed Russia from a flawed democracy to a full-fledged dictatorship

New York, NY (October 21, 2026)—PublicAffairs, an imprint of the Basic Books Group and the Hachette Book Group, announces the publication of ONE DAY FREE: A Personal History of Modern Russia and the Battle for Its Future by Vladimir Kara-Murza. “It is an honor to publish Vladimir’s extraordinary book. His tireless efforts to stand up to authoritarian abuse have led to the passage of anti-corruption legislation around the globe, earned him a Pulitzer Prize—and nearly cost him his life. Vladimir’s story is one of courageous dissent, perseverance, and an unwavering belief in the potential for a democratic Russia,” says PublicAffairs’ Editor in Chief Meagan Levinson. The book will go on sale on May 18, 2027, and is available for pre-order now.

“One Day Free is both a personal testimony and a historical chronicle—because, at a certain point, the two become inseparable. It is the story of a quarter-century of Vladimir Putin’s rule over Russia with an honest look at those people, both in Russia and in the West, who strengthened and enabled it—and at those who fought it, sometimes at the price of their own lives,” says Kara-Murza.

“In spite of everything, I am optimistic about Russia and its future. History knows many examples of once-terrifying tyrannies becoming peaceful civilized democracies—and no nation in the world is ever ‘destined’ to unfreedom. The day will come when Russia becomes a country that respects the rights of its own people and the borders of its neighbors. And, in this most important sense, the final chapters of this story are still unwritten.”

In April 2022, Vladimir Kara-Murza was arrested and later sentenced to twenty-five years in a Russian penal colony for speaking out against the war in Ukraine and against Putin’s dictatorship. He spent more than two years in prison—including eleven months of solitary confinement in Siberia—before he was released in the largest East-West prisoner exchange since the Cold War.

In this vivid memoir of post-Soviet Russia, Kara-Murza chronicles his and his compatriots’ resistance to Putin’s authoritarian takeover. Mentored by two of Putin’s most prominent critics—opposition leader Boris Nemtsov and revered Soviet dissident Vladimir Bukovsky—Kara-Murza participated in some of the defining moments of modern Russia’s history. He challenged Putin’s party at the ballot box and saw firsthand how it stifles opponents. He rallied support from the streets of Moscow to the halls of the US Congress. And he paid the price for his defiance: He saw his friends murdered, narrowly escaped two poisonings, and was convicted of “high treason.”

But Kara-Murza’s hope for a democratic future in Russia remains undimmed. A tribute to resilience and courage in the face of oppression, ONE DAY FREE is a reminder that the darkness of authoritarianism must eventually give way to the light of freedom.

About the Author:

Vladimir Kara-Murza is a Russian opposition leader, former political prisoner, and laureate of the Václav Havel Human Rights Prize. Previously deputy leader of the People’s Freedom Party and a candidate for the Russian parliament, he is a Pulitzer Prize–winning columnist at The Washington Post and holds an MA in history from the University of Cambridge.

About PublicAffairs:

Since its founding in 1997, PublicAffairs has been publishing prize-winning and bestselling works of serious non-fiction, with a focus on current affairs, public policy, foreign affairs, and technology. Drawing on deep expertise, our authors seek to educate and inform readers about the issues and events shaping the world today.

About Basic Books Group:

The Basic Books Group seeks to make the world smarter by publishing expert authors and enduring books. The group includes Basic Books, Seal Press, PublicAffairs, Bold Type Books, Basic Venture, and Basic Liberty.

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Hachette Book Group (HBG) is a leading U.S. general-interest book publisher made up of dozens of esteemed imprints within the publishing groups Basic Books Group, Grand Central Publishing Group, Hachette Audio, Little, Brown and Company, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, Orbit, Workman Publishing, and Running Press Group. We also provide custom distribution, fulfillment, and sales services to several publishing companies.

Our books and authors have received the Pulitzer Prize, National Book Award, Caldecott Medal, Newbery Medal, Booker Prize, Nobel Prize, James Beard Award, and other major honors.

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