Politics and Personalities: Key Actors in the Russian Opposition

​Personalities matter a great deal – in politics in general, and in particular in Russian politics today. This PRIO report contains ten in-depth profiles of political actors in today’s Russia. These ten are all people whose possible increased influence gives cause for concern for the West. At the same time, they have emerged from relative obscurity, at least as seen from the West. This group of ten is also a diverse one, ranging from Ivan Rybkin – who was considered a die-hard Communist when elected Duma Speaker in January 1994, but very soon became a seemingly dedicated social democrat – to the unabashed Nazi Aleksandr Barkashov. These actors also vary with regard to their influence on Russian politics; some have indeed both ascended and descended in prominence in the course of the preparation of this report. Several of those profiled are highly influential today. Most notably, Communist Party leader Gennady Zyuganov has emerged as the leading oppositional politician in Russia, being both a prominent presidential candidate and the leader of the largest faction in the State Duma. More than merely seeking to follow the ups and downs of political careers, however, this report aims to present important strands of contemporary Russian political thought. These ideological tendencies have already served to influence the political agenda in Russia, not least by forcing the Yeltsin regime to adjust its policies following the success of opposition parties in the 1993 and 1995 Duma elections.