Communism
Communism had been integral to Russian identity since Lenin’s first economic plan of 1925 and is evidenced by a series of problematic leaders and a deeply-troubled history (Vernadsky 1). Russia was introduced to communism in 1917, after Czar Nicholas II lost power in the February Revolution (Kort 152). Vladimir Lenin led Russia through a civil war and later developed a reputation as an intimidating force. Among the consequences of Communism, upper and middle classes lost their property and investments with the drastic change in government (Kort 152). Additionally, Joseph Stalin, Communist leader of the Soviet Union after Lenin’s death, governed Russia with strict laws and retaliation for anyone opposing him; for example, Stalin ordered purges and massacres, such as the 1937 Great Purge (Trapāns 25). Through these tragic events, Stalin oversaw the purge of “Soviet minority elites”(Trapāns 25). As the primary intent was to dismantle the class system and allow the state supreme control, one can see why Soviet rulers of the past, as well as several current political figures, are against the increase of individualism in Russia.
After Stalin’s death, Communism remained the governing system. Leadership changed from Nikita Khruschev, who focused on “De-Stalinization” of the Soviet Union during the Cold War, to Leonid Brezhnev. Under Brezhnev’s rule, the country faced a steep economic decline in the 1970’s (Daniels 21). In 1985, Mikhael Gorbachev became the last leader of the Soviet Union, which collapsed in 1991. With Gorbachev at the helm, trade relations with the west improved and cold war tension significantly reduced but Gorbachev was unable to prevent the Soviet Union’s demise (Daniels 21).
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“a form of Government in which sovereignty or political power is divided between the Central and local Governments, so that each of them within its own sphere is independent of the other,” (Paleker).
Federalism
Once the collapse of communism was complete, a door opened and the concept of western individualism gained a foothold. From the strict leadership of Stalin to the present-day complicated rule of Vladimir Putin, Russian citizens confronted multifaceted social change. Although communism was a strong presence in Russia for many years, the country is now a Federalist Republic.
Consequently, this shift in governmental structures has resulted in a government and economy in decline, adversely affecting everyday citizens. Conversely to Sovietism (ie- Soviet Communism), “most of the studies on Federalism centre around the legislative, financial and administrative relations between the Centre and the states” (Paleker 303). However, Russia survived the shift in governmental structure intact, the country has suffered from the lingering “pockets of traditional rule, corruption, and provincial resistance to centrally imposed market reform,” (Bahry 127) as evidenced by communities that resist the shift from Communism (even recently) and obviously corrupted officials that remain in power. Fortunately for Russia, there are solutions to their growing governmental issues.
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Furthermore, “cities and megacities as centers of innovations and knowledge economy are the drivers of economic growth and play a key role in the territorial development of Russia[…] Cities can be regarded as the source and solution for many of today's economic, social and environmental problems” (Danilina and Chebotarev 33).
Federalism is only successful if both the center and the states are of one accord (Paleker 303). In Russia’s case, multiple shifts in central and regional government have eroded a sense of unity essential to the success of its current system of a semi-presidential Federalist republic. A successful government with successful leaders requires a strong understanding of its citizens, notably their moral beliefs, motivation and identity, which is not reflected in the current political climate. If the central government does not embrace the simultaneously positive and negative contributions of its cities, it cannot develop a whole identity that is sensitive and aware of its constituent’s contribution to the equation.
In other words, for citizens of Russia to trust their leadership and for this leadership to understand its citizenry, both must be willing to examine their shared history and try to determine what worked and what did not. Clearly, the “three generations of Soviet rule” only served to oppress and deeply divide the citizens from their government. Communism lead to a country whose citizens questioned their moral value, with corruption and striving for power dictating leadership’s motivation in most policy-making decisions. A good first-step for Russia to take toward finding governmental solutions is to understand the lack of governmental infrastructure and the rise in interest about the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC).