Nikolay Petrov

The project is aimed at scrutinizing how the Russian political system is functioning: What are the most recent trends in the way it functions connected to regime transformation, and what should we expect in the future? It summarizes the results of an ongoing international research project on how decisions are made in modern Russia, based on a unique database of about 500 major decisions made between 2000 and 2021. Special emphasis is put on the composition of Russian political elites and the role they play in decision-making. The escalation of Russia’s relations with the West over Ukraine in 2021–2022 and the whole gamut of decisions made in this regard serve as case study. 

Nikolai Petrov spent a month at the IWM as a Russia in Global Dialogue Fellow.