Russia's "Transition": Is Democracy Delayed Democracy Denied?

Abstract

mer Soviet republics have begun to adopt a similarly fatalistic tone. There is concern that the Russian transition may have become stuck, that democracy remains unconsolidated, or that the transition may never have happened in Russia in the first place. With an impenetrable veil of uncertainty surrounding the waning months of Yeltsin's presidency and prospects for the postYeltsin succession, some have begun to speak of democracy as the longest route from Communism to Communism. Almost a decade into the post-Soviet era, scholars and citizens alike recognize that the road to democracy in Russia (and the other former Soviet republics) is longer and more circuitous than for the countries of East Central Europe. At times, the road appears to be leading nowhere at all. Precisely for this reason, it is important to reconsider why we expected these countries to embark on a transition to democracy in the first place. Even more important, the cases of Russia and its neighbors force us to question whether the very project of studying democratic may have blinded us to a more lasting and pernicious institutional consolidation that has taken place behind the banner of democratization.