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Power, Wealth, and Identity in Contemporary Russia

Peter Stavrakis, Professor of Political Science, National Defense University; Associate Professor, Department of Political Science, University of Vermont; and former Deputy Director and Title VIII-Supported Research Scholar, Kennan Institute

Date & Time

Monday
May. 24, 2004
12:00pm – 1:00pm ET

Overview

At a recent Kennan Institute talk, Peter Stavrakis, Professor of Political Science, National Defense University; Associate Professor, Department of Political Science, University of Vermont; and former Deputy Director and Title VIII-Supported Research Scholar, Kennan Institute, spoke about the complex political and economic situation in contemporary Russia. Stavrakis argued that much of Western scholarship has not painted an accurate picture of Russia's post-Soviet development because scholars have failed to understand the fundamental differences between Russia and the West. While Western scholars tend to think that economic and political factors shape social forces and elites, in Russia, he contended, the reverse is occurring—elites have consolidated enough power to shape economic and political development.

Stavrakis argued that it is important to carefully analyze political, economic, social, and identity issues in Russia because Russia remains an important country to the United States and to the international community in general. As NATO expands, he contended, the NATO states will have to take into account the pressure that Russia will inevitably feel at having a large foreign military alliance along its western borders. Russia is also important to the U.S., according to Stavrakis, because of the need to diversify energy sources and decrease reliance on the unstable Middle East. Finally, he argued that the international community should pay attention to the decline of democracy in Russia.

Russia's current political climate is one of consolidation and increasing centralization under president Vladimir Putin, according to Stavrakis. He contended that Putin has created a stable bureaucratic structure where no one challenges his ultimate authority. Along with political stability, Russia has experienced impressive economic growth, which many economists have interpreted as an indication that a market system has finally taken hold in the country. However, Stavrakis cautioned that throughout history, Russia has gone through cycles of dynamic growth followed by social unrest and economic stagnation. Today's prosperity may be just the beginning of a new cycle.

Considering social trends in Russia, Stavrakis spoke against the idea that Russians prefer authoritarianism to democracy. He argued that given the undemocratic nature of their society, and given the danger of criticizing those in power, ordinary Russians are responding logically by trying to work within the current system rather than trying to change it. The state in Russia penetrates more deeply into society than do states in Western countries, he contended, and therefore the Russian people have never had the opportunity to define their identity without reference to the state. When the Soviet Union collapsed, there was an opportunity for the state to withdraw from citizens' lives, but this did not happen, and Stavrakis believes that the Russian people have lost the opportunity to develop an identity independent of the state.

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Kennan Institute

The Kennan Institute is the premier US center for advanced research on Russia and Eurasia and the oldest and largest regional program at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. The Kennan Institute is committed to improving American understanding of Russia, Ukraine, Central Asia, the Caucasus, and the surrounding region though research and exchange.  Read more

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