ABSTRACT
This chapter shows that the way power and the state are perceived by the Russian elite should be considered a decisive factor in the way that elites form alliances or divide amongst themselves. It discusses the mechanisms that have created two main elite groups (an elite, and a counter-elite) and examines their respective values and attitudes toward the state and toward the economic reforms. The main difference between members of the elite and the counter-elite lies in the career path that they either chose to follow during the transition period. The chapter briefly examines the events that led to the transition process and reflect upon the flaws and paradoxes of President Boris Yeltsin's regime, to understand how a background favorable to the rise of a counter-elite was created. Although Russia's endless elite power struggles reflect the absence of both political cohesiveness and a shared understanding of the public good, one can find interesting trends in the values that elites share.
