The course is aimed at helping students make sense of the critical junctures that informed the trajectory of the Russian political regime in the decades after 1991. The module analyzes the transformations that shaped the Russian political institutions after the collapse of the Soviet Union, with the wars and crises of the 1990s, and the autocratization of the political regime over the past quarter-century.
After completing the course, the students will be able to:
– identify and assess the critical junctures in Russia’s post-1991 trajectory, evaluating their impact on its political institutions,
– understand the changes in Russia’s political system, from early democratization attempts to increasing autocratization,
– develop and articulate arguments about Russia's past and future institutional trajectory.
Poslední úprava: Fomin Ivan, Ph.D. (02.02.2025)
Podmínky zakončení předmětu - angličtina
To successfully complete the course, students must write and present an analytical essay on a topic of their choice related to Russian regime dynamics.
Focus. The essay should address a well-defined research question examining how Russia's institutional trajectory in a particular period was shaped by a) structural factors (pre-existing institutional framework, economic system, social composition, historical legacies, etc.), b) agentive factors (decisions, actions, policies).
Length: 2000–2500 words (excluding references).
Oral Presentation. Each student will present their essay during a seminar session aligned with their chosen topic. Presentations (15-25 minutes) should clearly outline the research question and the key arguments.
For essays presented in seminars 2–6, a slide presentation summarizing key arguments and findings is sufficient. For essays presented in seminars 7–11, students must submit both a slide presentation and a written draft.
Revision and Submission. Following seminar discussions, students must revise their essays based on feedback received. The final written version must be submitted no later than May 10th.
Poslední úprava: Fomin Ivan, Ph.D. (27.04.2026)
Literatura
See the syllabus.
Poslední úprava: Fomin Ivan, Ph.D. (16.02.2025)
Sylabus - angličtina
Organization
Each session of the course is devoted to an event (or series of events) from the Russian history after 1991. The main question guiding these discussions is how these events have influenced the trajectory of the Russian Federation and what factors shaped its institutional dynamics.
Each session begins with a student presenting the key points of their essay relevant to the topic of the session. This presentation will be followed by a group discussion.
Students are required to complete all reading assignments and come prepared to provide feedback on their peers' essays and actively engage in the discussions based on these readings.
Structure
TOPIC
REQUIRED AND ADDITIONAL READINGS
1
Introduction
Гельман, В. (2021). Авторитарная Россия. ГовардРорк. Предисловие, главы 1-2.
OR
Gel’man, V. (2015). Authoritarian Russia: Analyzing Post-Soviet Regime Changes (1st edition). University of Pittsburgh Press. Preface, Chapters 1-2.
Capoccia, G., & Kelemen, R. D. (2007). The Study of Critical Junctures: Theory, Narrative, and Counterfactuals in Historical Institutionalism. World Politics, 59(3), 341–369. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0043887100020852
2
Perestroika and the collapse of the Soviet Union
Гельман, В. (2021). Авторитарная Россия. Говард Рорк. Глава 3.
OR
Gel’man, V. (2015). Authoritarian Russia: Analyzing Post-Soviet Regime Changes (1st edition). University of Pittsburgh Press. Chapter 3.
Шевцова, Л. Ф. (1999). Режим Бориса Ельцина. РОССПЭН. Главы 1-2.
Травин, Д. (2010). Очерки новейшей истории России. Книга первая: 1985–1999. Норма. Части 2-3.
3
1993 Russian constitutional crisis
Гельман, В. (2021). Авторитарная Россия. Говард Рорк. Глава 3.
OR
Gel’man, V. (2015). Authoritarian Russia: Analyzing Post-Soviet Regime Changes (1st edition). University of Pittsburgh Press. Chapter 3.
Сравнительная таблица действующей Конституции Российской Федерации с учетом одобренного закона Российской Федерации «О поправке к Конституции Российской Федерации» «О совершенствовании регулирования отдельных вопросов организации и функционирования публичной власти». (2020). Государственная Дума. http://duma.gov.ru/media/files/WRg3wDzAk8hRCRoZ3QUGbz84pI0ppmjF.pdf
Partlett, W. (2021). Russia’s 2020 Constitutional Amendments: A Comparative Analysis. Cambridge Yearbook of European Legal Studies, 23, 311–342.
Pomeranz, W. E. (2021). Putin’s 2020 Constitutional Amendments: What Changed? What Remained the Same?. Russian Politics, 6(1), 6-26. https://doi.org/10.30965/24518921-00601002
Голосов, Г. В. (2025). Политические режимы и трансформации: Россия в сравнительной перспективе. Рутения. С. 230-334. Глава 4 (Проблемы политической трансформации).
Bobrinsky, N., Bogush, G., Vaypan, G., Sekretareva, N., & Anonymous Author. (2025). 100 days after Putin. Memorial. https://100days.memorialcenter.org/en
Stanovaya, T. (2025, January 30). The Era of Wild Putinism: How War Is Changing the Russian Regime and Elites. Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. https://carnegieendowment.org/research/2024/11/russia-wild-putinism-politics?lang=en
Rogov, K. (2024, June 11). Protracted Military Putinism: How long it will last and how it will end. Realities and projections. Re:Russia. https://re-russia.net/en/expertise/0161/
Some readings for the course are available only in Russian; however, they will not be required for students who do not speak Russian. Alternative readings in English will be provided whenever possible.
