In the past thirty years, Russia has gone through major transformations. After a period of democratic hopes, we have been observing the consolidation of a new authoritarian regime. How much are the current political developments the result of Russia's historical legacy, and how much was determined by the political leaders? How does society react and contribute to the regime transformation? This course will include a brief overview of the Soviet experience and the main elements of the transition and focus on the contemporary developments in Russian politics.