ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book analyzes the significant changes in the governance and operation of Russia's regional nuclear facilities since 1991, which have been quite remarkable in the context of Soviet-era practices. It discusses the evolution of center-periphery relations in the Russian political scene and the post-Soviet development of nuclear regionalism. The book explores the "federal face" of nuclear regionalism in two cases of policymaking: the legislation on spent nuclear fuel imports and proposed changes in the national electricity monopoly. It analyzes the Ministry of Atomic Energy, a critical actor in the nuclear complex and an influential player in Russian politics. The book provides frightening evidence of the desperate state of many military facilities and their increasing need to rely on local and regional sources of funding. It examines the multifaceted picture of nuclear regionalism, drawing out evidence, general findings, and policy recommendations.
