ABSTRACT
It is commonly accepted that different segments of the elite are major actors in regime transition and consolidation. Most scholars of democratization believe that substantial compromises among elites is a necessary (although not the only) condition of successful ‘transitions to democracy’. However, evidence from Russian politics casts some doubt on this proposition. At least, as yet, several attempts of elite consolidation on a basis of consensus have not led to successful democratization. According to the recent Freedom House survey, the rating of democratic development in Russia is similar to that of Jordan and Malaysia, and behind its neighbours Ukraine and Georgia (Karatnycky, 2002: 108-109). Thus, the study of elite interactions and their impact on transition process in Russia might be useful for understanding the limits of elitist models of democratization. The following analysis consists of three sections. In first section, I shall discuss some elements of theoretical schemes of impact of intra-elite conflict and consensus on the regime transition process as well as their application to contemporary Russia. The second section is a case study of regime transition on the level of subnational politics in Russia in Nizhnii Novgorod Oblast during 1991-1998. The final section reflects some considerations on developments of national elites in post-Soviet Russia and speculations about possible implications of Russia’s experience for further analysis of the role of elites in regime transition processes.
