Russia after the USSR: Social Changes and Political Reforms

The collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 signaled the beginning of a new era–both social and political–in Russia's history. It looks at how the nation–leading social changes, such as the redefinition of the national identity, demographic challenges i.e., population decline and aging, and migration patterns that shaped the makeup of society–have impacted the nation. It also examines simultaneous political reforms such as creating a multi-party system, altering the electoral process, the attempt to decentralize, the privatization of state assets, and reforms in the judiciary and constitutional frameworks. By looking at the way that these factors interact, the article argues that Russia is trying to square the circle between systemic collapse and the legitimate aspirations of modern statehood and governance in post-Soviet Russia.