▁coup ▁began , ▁I ▁immediately ▁decided ▁which ▁side ▁I ▁was ▁on ", ▁although ▁he ▁also ▁noted ▁that ▁the ▁choice ▁was ▁hard ▁because ▁he ▁had ▁spent ▁the ▁best ▁part ▁of ▁his ▁life ▁with ▁" the ▁org ans ". ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 9 , ▁Put in ▁described ▁commun ism ▁as ▁" a ▁blind ▁al ley , ▁far ▁away ▁from ▁the ▁main stream ▁of ▁civil ization ". ▁ ▁Political ▁career ▁▁ 1 9 9 0 – 1 9 9 6 : ▁Saint ▁Petersburg ▁administration ▁▁ ▁In ▁May ▁ 1 9 9 0 , ▁Put in ▁was ▁appointed ▁as ▁an ▁ad visor ▁on ▁international ▁affairs ▁to ▁the ▁Mayor ▁of ▁L ening rad ▁An atol y ▁Sob ch ak . ▁In ▁a ▁ 2 0 1 7 ▁interview ▁with ▁Oliver ▁Stone , ▁Put in ▁said ▁that ▁he ▁res igned ▁from ▁the ▁K GB ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 1 , ▁following ▁the ▁coup ▁against ▁Mik h ail ▁G orb ache v , ▁as ▁he ▁did ▁not ▁agree ▁with ▁what ▁had ▁happened ▁and ▁did ▁not ▁want ▁to ▁be ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁intelligence ▁in ▁the ▁new ▁administration . ▁ ▁On ▁ 2 8 ▁June ▁ 1 9 9 1 , ▁he ▁became ▁head ▁of ▁the ▁Committee ▁for ▁External ▁Rel ations ▁of ▁the ▁Mayor ' s ▁Office , ▁with ▁responsibility ▁for ▁prom oting ▁international ▁relations ▁and ▁foreign ▁invest ments ▁and ▁register ing ▁business ▁vent ures . ▁Within ▁a ▁year , ▁Put in ▁was ▁investig ated ▁by ▁the ▁city ▁legisl ative ▁council ▁led ▁by ▁Marina ▁Sal ye . ▁It