Putinism Under Siege: The Strange Alliance of Democrats and Nationalists

Adrift without the ideological compass of Soviet communism, almost every political force in post-Soviet Russia has flirted at one time or another with nationalism. Russia’s disputed December 2011 parliamentary elections triggered the biggest popular protests in the country of the past two decades. One of the most striking and unexpected features of these events was the partnership of liberals and nationalists in the ranks of the protesters. It is not clear how long the cooperation between these two groups will persist, but the extent to which they are able to join their efforts is likely to have a critical effect on the future of Russian politics.