The Normal Russia Of The Future: Yes, We Can

Can Russia be democratized, and how will Putin’s system collapse? How can we avoid past mistakes and overcome Putinism’s legacy and the Ukraine conflict? These questions are asked by Russian advocates of democratic change and our democratic Western allies. In their paper, “The Normal Russia Of The Future: Yes, We Can,” political analyst Fyodor Krasheninnikov and Vladimir Milov, Vice-President of Free Russia Foundation, attempt to answer them.

The uncertainty surrounding a free Russia hinders the drive for change and Western support for Russian democracy, playing into Putin’s propaganda. Both Russians and the international community fear post-Putin chaos, discouraging support for the opposition by portraying them as weak without a constructive program.

Various public figures have explored essential paths for Russia’s transformation. In this paper, the authors outline their vision for the future of Russia in politics, the economy, and social relations. This document serves as a proactive summary of the many ideas they’ve discussed with colleagues.

Despite the abundance of concrete ideas and writings regarding Russia’s transformation and the growing consensus within independent and democratic circles on key aspects of future governance, such as parliamentarism, federalism, independent courts, and robust local self-government, there remains a noticeable absence of comprehensive texts that synthesize these concepts. Here are the primary concepts, as Mr. Krasheninnikov and Mr. Milov see them, for crafting a future free Russia.