From the Russian to the Soviet Empire, 1917–91

Abstract

Writing about Russia used to be like writing about a ‘mystery wrapped in an enigma’, but even today, although the enigma has been unwrapped, the mystery still remains. The situation in that country is unclear and complicated. Communism as a state ideology has collapsed together with that state, and Russia appears to be adopting a system of liberal democracy. However, many Russian and Western analysts believe that the kind of democracy that will finally emerge in Russia will be quite unlike the Western system of government. A question which not only Russian academics and political observers but also Western politicians are asking themselves is: where is Russia heading today?