post-Soviet Russia Research Articles

The education sphere of post-soviet russia in the mirror of the labour market requirements and the needs of the population

Within the theoretical framework of social and individual needs satisfied in the sphere of education, the paper traces the main stages of educational reforms in the post-Soviet Russia, analyzes the consequences of the reforms for social development and for the labor market. It is shown that during the period of socio-economic transformations and adaptation to market realities, underestimation of specific features of educational process undermined its key functions and led to the formation of degradation mechanisms. The underlying factors exacerbating professional-educational mismatch and weakening mechanisms of social equalization are revealed. Taking into account the specifics of the sphere of education, alternative approaches to its financing are discussed.

The black sun that lights the underworld. On I. Ermakova’s The Copper Mirror [Mednoe zerkalo

The article offers a detailed review of The Copper Mirror [Mednoe zerkalo], a collection of selected works from several decades by the contemporary poet I. Ermakova. Following the book’s structure that draws on the titles of Ermakova’s earlier collections (The Provinces [Provintsiya], The Vineyard [Vinogradnik], and A Lullaby for Odysseus [Kolybelnaya dlya Odisseya]), the critic traces a plot that guides the reader on a journey from the post-Soviet Russian provinces of the 1990s into the present day. Although the most up-to-date poems in the book date from 2020 (including the opening verse ‘I started a bonfire, fed the flame…’ [‘Ya razvyol kostyor, nakormil plamya…’], which seems to hold the key to the book’s meaning and objective), the meticulous selection of poems and their arrangement reveal a book that is undeniably modern in its response to the latest topics and challenges. In addition to the commentary on the book’s inner theme and Ermakova’s ‘manifesto’ poems, the review considers the critical reception of her works and cites the best articles about the poet, including the preface to The Copper Mirror by the critics and philologists A. Skvortsov and A. Salomatin.

Международное сотрудничество Кабардино-Балкарской Республики в сфере экономики в первой половине 90-х гг. XX века

In the first half of the 1990s, post-Soviet Russia experienced large-scale transformations of state, socioeconomic, and institutional legal structures, which had a substantial impact on the country’s and the world’s entire economic and legal environment. Because of the transformations that took place, there was a general attitude towards integration into the global market, liberalization of the complex of public relations, including the formation of a certain degree of “independence” of the country’s subjects in the decision-making process, granting the latter greater rights and freedoms in foreign economic activity. Under the current conditions, the Government of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic attempted establish as many contacts as possible with several countries in the field of trade and economic cooperation, using any opportunities for interaction with the leader-ship of other states, as well as with representatives of individual foreign firms and business cir-cles. This had its positive results, since in the analyzed period several joint Russian-foreign com-panies appeared on the territory of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic, foreign investments were attracted to the republic for the development of certain industries, and the states began to view the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic as a promising economic partner. However, the study of the histor-ical and statistical material of the foreign economic activity of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic in the first half of the 90s of the XX century made it possible to identify barriers and threats that did not allow the full use of the internal potential and capabilities of the republic, including: im-perfection of the legislative framework, customs and tax regulation, lack of a developed credit and financial system, inconsistency of actions of federal and regional authorities on certain issues of international cooperation, unfavorable political situation on the North Caucasus.

Субъектность стала реальностью: о функционировании Совета Федерации Федерального Собрания Российской Федерации в постсоветской России

This article analyzes some features of the conflict between the government and deputies of the Federation Council in 1997. The main reason for this conflict was the negative economic situation in the Primorsky Territory, coupled with an attempt to deprive the governor of the region, E. I. Nazdratenko, of his powers. As a result of the conflict, it became obvious to the entire political class that it was unrealistic to deprive the post of the head of the region elected by the people on the initiative of Moscow. It was also clearly demonstrated that the system of checks and balances in post-Soviet Russia exists de facto, and not only de jure. The possibility of making significant decisions at the federal level without taking into account the opinions of the regions and their heads has become extremely low. Thus, the Federation Council has finally proved its subjectivity.

Transformation of Post-Soviet Russia’s Interests in the Asia-Pacific Region

The relevance of this study is due to the significant transformation of the system of international relations caused by the geopolitical transit from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean. In the context of modern global changes and dynamic processes in the international arena, the study of the transformation of Russia’s interests in the Asia-Pacific region (APR) is becoming especially important. It provides an opportunity to predict future trends in international relations and develop specific recommendations for the development of Russia’s foreign policy strategy. In the context of worsening relations with the West and Russia’s turn to the East, this study allows us to better understand key trends in the region and develop strategic solutions to strengthen Russia’s geopolitical status in the Asia-Pacific region. In particular, it is important to take into account the economic, political and military aspects of Russia’s presence in this dynamically developing region. Thus, this study plays a key role in shaping Russia’s long-term foreign policy strategy and its adaptation to new geopolitical realities, not only in order to strengthen its position in the Asia-Pacific region, but also to respond more effectively to the challenges and opportunities arising from the transformation of the global system of international relations.

Эволюция информационной политики судебных органов власти: этапы, особенности правового регулирования

The article examines the evolution of the information policy of the judiciary in the context of reforming the judicial system in post-Soviet Russia. Based on a systematic approach, a retrospective study of the formation and development of the information policy of judicial authorities in Russian society in the context of legal regulation was carried out and the author’s approach to highlighting the stages of its institutionalization in connection with the adoption of regulatory documents is presented: the first stage (1991‒2000) is pre-institutional, which is characterized by the emergence of information activities of the judicial system; the second stage (2001‒2018) ‒ the initial stage of institutionalization of the information policy of the judicial authorities; the third stage ‒ (from 2019 to the present) characterizes the formation of the information policy of the judicial system in Russia. The article provides a detailed description of each stage, identifies the factors that influenced their development, and explores the peculiarities of legal regulation and associated challenges. The study also presents findings from research on the implementation of information activities and policies, conducted by the authors using materials from the Arbitration Court of the Novosibirsk Region in 2010 and 2024 in a monitoring mode. The significance of this research lies in systematizing the known facts and phenomena characteristic of the period under study, allowing for an analysis of the transformation of judicial information activities into a coherent information policy and offering a fresh perspective on its implementation in modern Russia.

Democracy Revised: Democratic Imaginary and Emerging Autocracy in Post-Soviet Russia

Contemporary autocracies often maintain a connection with democracy. They do not entirely dismantle the democratic structures established within unfinished modernization projects. Instead, they emerge as “electoral autocracies” and manipulate the concept of democracy offering alternative interpretations and meanings to further their illiberal agenda. The paper delves into the revision of democracy and how the democratic imaginary is utilized in the context of emerging autocracy in post-Soviet Russia. While the post-Soviet Russian autocracy adjusted democratic institutions for its own objectives, it also intended to appropriate the concept of democracy at the semantic and symbolic levels. The rise of Putin’s autocracy is characterized by the radicalization of cultural-civilizational particularism endorsing anti-democratic illiberal arguments. Through this adaptable hermeneutic framework, the Russian authorities tend to relativize the concept of democracy, criticizing, and dismissing the relevance of liberal democracy. Simultaneously, they articulate a distinct “sovereign” version of democracy and claim that non-liberal regimes are legitimate forms of political modernity. The autocratic political discourse on democracy is intrinsically non-democratic, as the lack of intellectual autonomy, control, and closure of discourse constrain the scope of meaning. The resulting heteronomous conception of democracy presents a static and ahistorical society predestined to (re)produce a single pro-authoritarian cultural-political pattern.

The cost to education development: A personal story

This personal narrative details the experiences of the founding director of the Institute of Education at the Higher School of Economics in Moscow, reflecting on the development of educational precedents in post-Soviet Russia. The text outlines the establishment and rise of a few new innovative educational organizations, marking their impact through innovative practices rather than conventional policy reforms. The author argues that creating educational precedents—specific, practical examples of successful education strategies—is more resilient and effective than broad policy reforms or regulatory innovations. These precedents, once established, tend to endure through their intrinsic merits and practical success, despite shifting political landscapes and regulatory environments. The personal story underscores the complex interplay between educational innovation and political reaction in Russia.

On the Issue of the Erosion of the Social Stratum of Engineering and Technical Workers During the Years of Socio-Economic Transition (1987–1999)

The author explores the issue of the erosion of the social stratum of engineers and technicians, which occupied a significant place in the structure of Soviet society, under the influence of the transformation processes of the late 1980s–1990s. Using the materials of in-depth interviews, ego-documents, “digital footprint”, and archival sources, with the use of digital methods (analytical platform PolyAnalyst), the author studies the processes of adaptation of engineering and technical intelligentsia to the realities of the transition economy, traces the change of value attitudes of engineers and technicians. The author identifies three key strategies of post-Soviet engineers’ adaptation to so-called “savage capitalism”: cooperative entrepreneurship, application of professional knowledge and skills in the sphere of private household services, and leaving the profession for private trade. She analyses factors that contributed to the choice of this or that strategy, favored and hindered adaptation in general. She concludes that the loss of socio-professional identity led to the deterioration of social well-being of former soviet ITRs, regardless of their former specialization and acquired material status, and, more broadly, led to the crisis of social and civic identity in post-soviet Russia, the consequences of which are still being felt today.

Fundamentals of the Strategy of the State National Policy of the Russian Federation and Improving the Conceptual Framework for Regulating Interethnic Relations

An important aspect of the political history of post-Soviet Russia is the search for and formulation of the doctrinal foundations of state national policy. In this regard, the analysis of conceptual documents related to this area is of great importance. These include the Concept of State National Policy of the Russian Federation, adopted in 1996, and the Strategy of State National Policy of the Russian Federation for the period until 2025, approved in 2012. One of the key concepts in the latest document is the conception of “Russian nation”, meaning a community of all citizens of Russia, regardless of their ethnic origin. It seems important to consider the possible trends of evolution of this document, the adoption of which was an important milestone in the implementation of Russia’s nationality policy. Despite the civil, political and legal nature of the Russian nation, the ethnic Russian cultural core plays an important role in maintaining its unity. This circumstance was noted in the article “Russia: The National Question” (2012) written by V.V. Putin, many of the provisions of which formed the basis of the Strategy. In the future, it seems that the role of the ethnocultural factor in ensuring civil unity will be analyzed in more depth. A deeper study of the issue of the spiritual and moral foundations of a civil nation is also inevitable. The adoption of the Strategy has also become an important incentive for improving the institutional framework of state national policy, the development of which is given a large place in the program document.

Periodization of stages of the Russian Federation pension system reforming

Subject. This article examines the pension system of Russia in the period from 1990 to the present, the step-by-step process of its formation, development, reform, and accompanying problems. Objectives. The article aims to periodize the process of pension reforming in post-Soviet Russia, describe the main stages, summarize the transformations, and assess the further prospects of the pension system. Methods. For the study, we used comparative, statistical, analytical, and chronological methods. Results. The article identifies the key stages in the development of the pension legislation of the Russian Federation and analyzes each of them from the standpoint of setting goals, their implementation and consequences, and the ensuing problems. Conclusions. The decline in the pension replacement rate, the budget deficit of the Social Fund of Russia, the liquidation of the State-funded pension and the unclear prospects of the new long-term savings programme cast doubt on the sufficiency and effectiveness of the reforms carried out. In the future, compulsory pension insurance will develop towards a pay-as-you-go pension scheme. The funded component of the system will move to the sphere of non-State pension provision.

Russia’s Other War: Patriarchal culture and domestic violence. The #ЯНеБоюсьСказать (#IAmNotAfraidToSpeak) July 2016 Campaign on Vkontakte

This article is dedicated to a controversial topic for Russian society, namely the campaign #ЯнеБоюсьСказать (#IamNotAfraidToSpeak) that took place in VKontakte’s Russian speaking community in July 2016. First the article is based on a theoretical framework that draws attention to the concept of contentious politics and feminist movement. Second, I analysed the messages associated with #IamNotAfraidToSpeak, and argue that the campaign raised the visibility of the problem of domestic violence and patriarchal culture in the post-Soviet Russia, and this helped increase the significance of women’s linguistic agency and made #IamNotAfraidToSpeak the first large-scale feminist movement in Russia. Moreover, in addition to the theoretical background, the paper focuses on a case study: The #ЯНеБоюсьСказать(#IAmNotAfraidToSpeak) campaign of July 2016 on VKontakte. Keywords: gender-based violence in Russia, feminist movements, former Soviet, flashmob, #IamNotAfraidToSpeak, VKontakte.

Putinism. Post-Soviet Russian Regime Ideology

Mikhail Suslov har skrevet en bok med potensiale for å bli et standardverk om ideologisk tenkning i Putins Russland. Basert på et vesentlig tekstkorpus presenterer han en grundig og belest analyse av putinismens ideologiske byggeklosser, og argumenterer for at regimets ideologiske fundament på ingen måte bør avfeies eller undervurderes. Uten å vedgå hvor reell og farlig denne ideologien er, skriver Suslov, kan vi ikke heller bekjempe den. Mikhail Suslov has written a book with the potential of becoming a standard work on the ideological rationale in Putin's Russia. Based on a significant text corpus, he presents a thorough analysis of the ideological building blocks of Putinism and argues that the regime's ideological foundations should in no way be dismissed or underestimated. Unless we acknowledge the reality and danger of this this ideology, Suslov writes, we cannot hope to fight it.

Nutrition Culture of Indigenous Peoples in the Context of Socio-Cultural Space of Post-Soviet Russia

The article analyzes the process of formation of new food traditions among the indigenous peoples of Russia in the period of 1992–2000. The diversity and variety of methodological concepts, an interdisciplinary approach in historical science at the beginning of the XXI century allowed the humanitarian intelligentsia to study the interethnic problems of Soviet and Russian society. The socio-cultural approach that has been established in the last two decades makes it possible to qualitatively compare various historical events in dynamics. In the history of any state, we can trace ethnic processes that, as facts, causally or illogically, can influence the history of the development or extinction of individual nations, peoples and nationalities. The author recreates the historical processes of the influence of market relations on food as one of the most important processes in the life support of any person. We conclude that with the decline of the Soviet Union, a complex process of reorganization of economic and logistics chains serving the northern territories of Russia began. We also conclude that the lack of the necessary legislative framework, the lack of social adaptation skills, the decrease in the use of the northern sea route and the change in ownership forms in agricultural management had a negative impact on the development of food practices. The results of the study showed that in the conditions of a transforming social structure, there was a significant difference in values and in traditional nutrition. The national cuisine of the indigenous peoples is characterized by the use of specific food products and cooking recipes, which are a unique spiritual heritage. The analysis of the materials shows that the traditional cooking of the indigenous small-numbered peoples of the North was formed as knowledge about the methods of their preparation developed, which ranged from oral creativity to scientific research. Western European cuisine was not available to thepeoples of the North, and therefore the search for the most optimal ways of cooking began. In general, it can be concluded that the need to search for culinary recipes was expressed among indigenous peoples in a return to traditionalism in the national cuisine.

Генезис законодательства об организации судов с участием присяжных заседателей в постсоветской России и проблемы обеспечения его конституционности

The article examines the process of development of legislation on the organization of jury trials in post-Soviet Russia, and also touches upon the problems of ensuring compliance of this legislation with the Constitution of the country. According to the author, as a result of constitutional amendments, before the constitutional reform of 1993, the legislator thought or assumed a wider introduction into socio-political practice of the institution of trial with the participation of jurors, and civil cases were even placed in first place by the Constitution compared to criminal cases. The Constitution of the RSFSR still supported the construction of “professional justice together with people’s assessors”, but was aimed at a major transformation of democratic forms of justice in the future.

Issues of justice in the political and legal doctrine of I.A. Ilyin

The work of the outstanding Russian lawyer and philosopher I.A. Ilyin attracts the attention of researchers from various branches of humanitarian knowledge. At the same time, his political and legal ideas are of particular interest to modern legal science, which is the object of the presented research. The subject of the study is the views of Ivan Alexandrovich on justice, set out in his writings, both Russian and emigrant periods of his life. The author examines in detail such aspects of the topic as the relationship between justice and fairness in the teachings of I.A. Ilyin; his ideas about responsibility and legal awareness. Special attention is paid to Ilyin's ideas about justice in post-Soviet Russia. The purpose of the presented article is to consider the ideas of I.A. Ilyin using dialectical, systemic and comparative legal methods united by the principles of historicism and objectivity. The main conclusion of the conducted research is the reasoned statement that in the political and legal doctrine of I.A. Ilyin, the issues of ensuring justice and fairness in law enforcement occupy an important place. The author's special contribution to the research of the topic is the substantiated conclusions about the relevance of I.A. Ilyin's views on an independent, well-organized judicial system, equal, objective and adversarial proceedings, as well as on the developed legal awareness and sense of personal responsibility of the law enforcement officer as factors in ensuring fair justice. The novelty of the research lies in the generalization of I.A.Ilyin's views on justice as a state activity to ensure justice in society. The author has put forward a practical proposal on the formation of judicial districts that do not coincide with the administrative-territorial division.

Political and Economic Discourses of Centralization and Decentralization: Education and Science in Russia

Incidents are increasingly occurring in schools, for which municipalities are being held responsible in Russia. Business makes complaints about the level of training of university graduates, which is a problem of coordinating the activities of the leadership of the constituent entities of the Federation with classical and technical universities. According to the authors, this is a consequence of the functioning of informal institutions that have developed in post-Soviet Russia in the field of education and science. Differences are determined by the different informal institutions that develop in these organizations. Such institutions are identified by insiders – employees and consumers of services (parents of pupils and students, students themselves), distinguishing between types of schools and universities. But their knowledge remains tacit and is not included in public discussion. From the point of view of officials responsible for the functioning of secondary and higher schools, some types of organizations highlighted in the work do not exist. Scientific activity began to be assessed on the basis of bibliometric indicators. But there is an international legal cartel operating in this area, which allows large publishing houses to maximize their income. Russian scientists spent about $ 10 million in 2020 to pay for the services of the publishing houses. The current system meets the needs of representatives of elite universities and schools, which is common for peripheral capitalism. At the same time, municipalities and Subjects of the Federation are very interested in changing the situation – minimizing the scope of “negative” informal institutions in schools, developing advanced scientific and educational centers in the regions.

Scientific Study of Islam for Its Understanding and Dialogue of Cultures

Heightened interest in modern Islam, its philosophy, and its culture is substantiated by the complex transformations in Islamic countries and Muslim regions of post-Soviet Russia. Some countries see a rise in the political role of Islam: religion has become a driver of international politics, and adaptation of the Muslim world to the global transformational processes of the century is still on the agenda. Some argue that the scholarly study of religion is ineffective for solving global issues. Muslim scholars take a dim view of non-Muslims attempting to study Islam. Russian academic approach lies in between Western and Muslim religious sciences; thus, new Russian works on Islam not only promote religious studies but also strengthen Russia as an international actor. Doctor of Philosophy, professor Taufik Ibragim is one of the eminent researchers of Islam. In 2009, he was a co-author of the biography of Muhammad. In 2015, he published a much-talked-about work on religious pluralism in the Quran. T. Ibragim’s works conflate encyclopedic knowledge and academic scrutiny with clarity and are of interest to both specialist audiences and general readers. In 2022, he published the book Names of God according to Islam, in which he attempted to translate Muslim concepts into the language of another monotheistic religion. The nature of God—personal and/ or impersonal—is subject to heated discussions, and T. Ibragim gives his interpretations of Quranic verses. The introduction presents an overview of the characteristics of God in the Quran and also gives the first comprehensive index of the names of God. The methodology, systematization, structure, and content of the book make it significant for Russian Islamic and Oriental studies. It will be helpful for theologists, Arabic and Islam scholars, as well as students. T. Ibragim’s works shed light on one of the most numerous and dynamic world religions and let everyone look into the hidden treasures of Islamic tradition.

The Ruscist Regime Dooms Russia to Serious Shocks

The article analyzes the development of the Russian Federation during the 33 years after independence. It was noted that during the first years, decisive measures were taken to dismantle the communist regime, all its key institutions, and introduce in its place a democratic and legal system, a market economy on a multi-system basis, the modernization of its leading industries, the development of the socio-economic sphere and the provision of the primary needs of citizens, solving international problems in the country itself.
 In foreign policy, the leadership of the Russian Federation sought to form equal, democratic and mutually beneficial relations, especially with such world centers as the EU and the Atlantic countries. The same principles were initiated in relation to other world regions and states, in particular, in relation to the post-Soviet countries that continued to cooperate within the framework of the CIS.
 Since the beginning of the 21st century, the departure of the Russian Federation from the democratic values developed by Western civilization began, since a number of provisions regarding the transformation of socio-political, socio-economic and national development, which were recommended for borrowing, ran counter to the interests of Russia and contradicted the national idea. In the activities of the new elite of the Russian Federation, their own geopolitical and geoeconomic interests, which were aimed at reviving the positions of the great powers in the world, ensuring the security and integrity of the multinational state, were increasingly strengthened.
 At the final stage of transformational transformations in the Russian Federation, the final establishment of a totalitarian model of the state system took place, the main features of which were: in domestic politics – over-centralism, dictatorship, militarism, revival and development of the Military Industry; on the international arena – revanchist and aggressive policy; it is increasingly obvious that the principles of peaceful coexistence, equal cooperation, and the strengthening of the dominance of its geopolitical interests are being ignored.
 It is emphasized that the establishment of a dictatorial model of the state system in post-Soviet Russia took place primarily because the tsarist-imperial centralist and great-state traditions most corresponded to the implementation of its tasks in domestic and foreign policy.
 It is proved that the dominance of internal rather than external factors was the reason for the inability of the Russian Federation to form a progressive political-legal, democratic and economic model of the development of the state and society, to build international relations, in particular with neighboring states, on a legal, competitive and mutually beneficial basis.
 It was noted that the growing aggressive policy of the Russian Federation towards Ukraine and other countries did not receive timely and appropriate countermeasures from world states and international organizations. Only the heroic resistance of the Ukrainian nation to the invaders forced the collective West to provide active assistance to Ukraine and to introduce effective sanctions against the Russian Federation.
 It is emphasized that the war of aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, the annexation of part of its territories, the barbaric destruction of the civilian population and industrial infrastructure are aimed at the liquidation of the Ukrainian state and the Ukrainian nation, the colonization of its territory. The ideology of ruscism must be condemned and banned at the international level and its bearers and those involved in the commission of crimes must be punished.

The problem of countering political extremism in the Russian Federation in the early 1990s.

The collapse of the USSR marked the collapse of the former state order. The former Soviet republics faced such destructive phenomena that seemed simply unthinkable in the conditions of the former socialist way of life. Associations and groupings became sharply active in the political arena, the participants of which expressed aggressive hostility to the changes taking place in the country. The purpose of this article is to use various materials (normative legal acts and draft laws, periodicals, statistical data, Internet resources, as well as research literature) on the basis of a comprehensive use of various materials to identify the main problems and contradictions of the state policy aimed at countering political extremism in the first post-Soviet years. The subject of the study is a holistic political and legal process aimed at the development and adoption of adequate anti-extremist legislation. For the most complete disclosure of the problem posed, problem-chronological, formal-legal, institutional and systemic approaches were used. The scientific novelty of the research lies in an attempt to comprehend the state-legal policy aimed at combating various forms of political, national and religious radicalism as an integral and, at the same time, extremely contradictory strategy, which was implemented in the context of the crisis situation in the country. The acquired knowledge will allow us to better understand the changes that have occurred in the understanding of political extremism at the state and legal level in subsequent years. The formation of anti-extremist legislation in post-Soviet Russia was complicated by the confrontation in which all branches of government were involved. Even after overcoming the "crisis of dual power" and the adoption of a new Constitution, the Russian state was in a state of division, which made it difficult to develop and adopt a law on combating extremism. In the mid-1990s, the opinion prevailed in the socio-political discourse about the increased threat from radical nationalist (fascist) formations with the dangerous inaction of law enforcement agencies. These attitudes influenced the President and Parliament, who were the main subjects of the legislative initiative. Excessive politicization of the legislative process made it significantly difficult to develop adequate solutions. The situation was exploited by radicals who continued their illegal activities unhindered. Thus, the problem of countering political extremism did not lose its relevance in the second half of the 1990s and can serve as a subject for further study.