Russian Politics

Russia is rarely out of the news, yet Russian politics can be difficult to understand. This Very Short Introduction provides a guide to understanding Russian politics that goes beyond the headlines and offers a vivid account of the key forces driving them. Brian Taylor provides a concise and accessible overview that places Russia in a global context while explaining its internal political development. The discussion balances the role of enduring forces such as history, geography, and global status, with the dramatic influence of powerful individual leaders such as Mikhail Gorbachev, Boris Yeltsin, and Vladimir Putin.