ABSTRACT
The speed with which the Soviet state came tumbling down a decade ago left most observers and participants alike astonished. After all, the collapse of the Soviet “evil empire” was not precipitated by a military defeat at the hands of its archenemy the United States. Rather, the Soviet system was toppled relatively easily by a lethal combination of pragmatic elites and disgruntled masses. As we examine the policy challenges that the Russian Federation faces today, we should not forget the fact that the Soviet Union was brought down by members of its own society. If the impenetrable and indestructible Soviet monolith could collapse so rapidly and without warning, what are the prospects for regime stability in the new Russia?
