CREDITS 3 ECTS - 32 Contact Hours
This course provides a systemic and comprehensive analysis of contemporary Russian politics, structured around two core axes: the conceptual frameworks necessary for analyzing authoritarian regimes and the temporal developments that have shaped the modern Russian state. Moving beyond a descriptive survey of current events, the curriculum examines the structural determinants of the Russian regime and political developments, for example, the tension between formal constitutional institutions (the presidency, parliament, courts) and the informal networks of power (patronage, elite clans, and the security services) that drive actual decision-making.
Students will explore how Russia’s unique historical background and structural factors have influenced its political system today – one distinct from both Western democracies and other authoritarian states. The course traces the trajectory of the polity from the "conflictual authoritarianism" of the 1990s to the "consolidated" and "personalist" regime of the 2000s, paying specific attention to the fundamental transformation of the state following the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Through this, the course will equip students with the knowledge and skills needed to independently assess Russian political development.- Teacher: Armands Aivo Astukevičs