regional elites

The article is devoted to the study of the main institutionalized and informal practices of representation of national interests in the political process of modern Russia.

This paper tries to explain evolution of theoretical views on development of the Russian regional elites as a influential actors of post-Soviet political process. The focus is on the local power minorities as the most important force shaping regional policy and identity in situation of crisis transformation of Russian society at 1990s. The author argues that the study of regional Russia by explanatory models from the bowels of the Western political theories does not contribute to understanding of real nature of post-Soviet transformation.

Based on the results of panel expert surveys conducted on the eve of the First (2013) and Second (2016) All-Russian Elitological Congresses, the authors analyze the role and importance of contemporary Russian regional elites. Experts’ predisposition to the Russian elites is shown, dynamics of elites’ quality transformation is evaluated, and steps to conduce inter-elite interaction and development of leadership are pinpointed. Tendencies of the modern regional elites’ existence are named, general conclusions are formulated.