Vladimir Bukovsky is one of the most famous Soviet dissidents, having spent almost 10 years in prisons, camps and the notorious "psychiatric wards". Known as "The Hooligan" for his reckless disregard of the Soviet regime, he managed to smuggle to the West information about the USSR's abuse of psychiatrical wards for political purposes, becoming a cause of embarrassment and irritation for the Soviet authorities. In 1976, Bukovsky was finally exchanged for former Chilean Communist leader Luis Corvalán. He settled in the UK and graduated from Cambridge University, having studied neurophysiology. Mr. Bukovsky is an outspoken critic of both Putin's Russia and the EU. In 2008, he once again became the centre of media attention when he agreed to run for Russian President, having been nominated by a coalition of democratic forces.

Vladimir Bukovsky's exclusive lecture at the Oxford Univeristy Russian Society on March the 2nd, the day of the Russian Presidential elections, attracted over 120 people to Merton college.

Victor Shchelokov is a lawyer with specialisation in the land law. The modern Russian Land Code was introduced in 2001, and just a few months later Mr Shchelokov founded his specialised law firm in St.Petersburg, Russia. In addition to practicing law, he popularises it for the wide public in lectures and books (19 have been published in Russia). His next step is to provide his expertise beyond the Russian boundaries. He has set up affiliated companies in Finland and the UK for providing practical legal support to foreign individuals and corporate clients who wish to enter the Russian land market. In his lecture Mr Shchelokov explained the pros, cons and risks of investment in land in Russia, as well as the ways to solve problems that foreign investors may encounter.

Boris Pankin was Foreign Minister of the Soviet union for a brief period in 1991. A reformer and journalist, Pankin had only 100 days to serve as Foreign Minister before the Soviet Union's collapse in 1991. In that short period, he established diplomatic relations with the State of Israel, managed the collapse of the GDR, began the Soviet-US disarmament process and purged the KGB from the ranks of the Soviet Foreign Ministry. Pankin is best known for being the highest-ranking diplomat to stand against the August putsch which sought to bring down Mikhail Gorbatchev. Pankin is credited with preventing the Communist-Czechoslovak government from interfering in the Velvet Revolution. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Pankin was named Russian Ambassador to the Court of St. James (UK), where he served until 1994. He resigned in protest over Russia's invasion of Chechnya.

Vyacheslav Nikonov is a well-known Russian political consultant and analyst. He is the president of two influential political organizations in Russia – the Unity and Polity foundations – and is also Dean of History and Political Science at the International University in Moscow. In addition, Vyacheslav serves as a senior consultant to The PBN Company, providing insight to the firm and its clients on current Russian polity, policy and government developments. From 1994 to 1996, Vyacheslav was a member of the State Duma, where he served as the chairman of the Subcommittee for International Security and Arms Control. His long career in Russian and Soviet politics and government includes serving as the Deputy Chairman of President Yelstin’s re-election campaign; speechwriter for the CPSU Central Committee; and assistant to the Chief of Staff, Office of the President of the USSR. Vyacheslav’s academic credentials include serving as a ten-year senior research fellow at the History Department of Moscow State University, a senior fellow at the "Reforma" Foundation, and a professor of political science at the California Institute of Technology.