Mark Ames

About the Author

Mark Ames is an acclaimed American journalist and author renowned for his unflinching explorations of post-Soviet Russia's underbelly. Born in the United States, Ames moved to Moscow in the 1990s, where he co-founded The eXile, a provocative English-language newspaper that blended gonzo journalism with sharp political satire, earning both praise and controversy for its raw depictions of corruption, excess, and cultural chaos. His seminal work, The Exile: Sex, Drugs, and Libel in the New Russia, chronicles his tumultuous experiences navigating the wild frontiers of the new Russian elite, offering a visceral insider's view of a nation in turbulent transition. Ames's writing captures the absurdity and danger of authoritarianism with a blend of humor and outrage, influencing a generation of writers on global affairs. Now based in the U.S., he continues to contribute to outlets like Radio Free Europe, dissecting modern geopolitics with the same irreverent edge.