Russia's renewal since the collapse of communism has proved extraordinarily disturbed, marked by escalating conflict between President Yeltsin and the Congress of People's Deputies inherited from the Soviet era. This culminated in insurrection and violence on the streets, and when the main rebels were given amnesty in February 1994, the situation remained as uncertain as ever.

The contributors to this book analyse a Russia which is searching for its future amid a maelstrom of complex forces - political, economic, sociocultural, and international. They examine each of these elements of Russia's situation and investigate the role that each may play in shaping Russia's fortunes into the next century.

Their overall conclusion is that, whatever the exact shape of the future, it will be determined by both elements embedded over many generations and the influence of seven decades of communist rule.