> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.europesblindspots.eu/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Russia Country Passport - URL: https://www.europesblindspots.eu/russia-country-passport/ - Published: 2026-10-27T19:34:19.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-28T19:46:00.000Z - Description: How Russia works beyond the Kremlin: its political system, peoples and languages, imperial legacies, war economy and relationship with the European Union. - Author: Albert Stulens - Tags: Country Passports, Russia, Democracy, Rule Of Law, Imperialism, Minority Rights Albert Stulens - Updated 21 October 2026 Russia (RU) is a major European and Asian power governed by a highly centralised, authoritarian state. Beyond the Kremlin lies a diverse society marked by substantial regional differences. This overview connects its political institutions with the histories of the country that too often remain out of sight. # Essential facts | **Capital** | Moscow | | ---------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | **Population** | Approximately 143.4 million — UN projection for 1 July 2026, medium variant of World Population Prospects 2024\. \[1\] | | **Language and currency** | Russian is the state language throughout the federation. Republics may also have their own state languages. Currency: Russian rouble (RUB). \[2\] | | **Administrative divisions** | 83 federal constituent entities within internationally recognised borders, including 21 republics, four autonomous districts and the Jewish Autonomous Region. Ukrainian territories claimed by Russia are not included in this count. \[2\] | | **Neighbours** | Fourteen land neighbours: Norway, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland (via Kaliningrad), Belarus, Ukraine, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, China, Mongolia and North Korea. Japan and the United States also lie nearby across the sea. | | **International ties** | United Nations (permanent Security Council member), Group of Twenty (G20), BRICS, Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, Eurasian Economic Union and Collective Security Treaty Organization. Russia also coordinates oil production with other producers through OPEC+. \[19\] | # Political system and power **Formal institutions.** Constitutionally, Russia is a semi-presidential federal republic with a president, a prime minister and a parliament. The Federal Assembly comprises the 450-seat State Duma and the Federation Council. The latter includes two representatives from each federal constituent entity, plus up to thirty senators appointed by the president; former presidents may become senators for life under certain conditions. In practice, strong central control limits the republics’ formal autonomy. \[2, 5\] **Power in practice.** Power is concentrated in the hands of President Vladimir Putin, the Kremlin and the security services. The State Duma, the judiciary and most regional governors provide little independent restraint. In the elections of 18–20 September 2026, United Russia received approximately 58 per cent of the party-list vote and 349 of the 450 seats, according to the official results. The national list of the anti-war party Yabloko was excluded, although candidates could still stand in individual constituencies. \[3, 4, 5\] **Electoral conditions.** Voting rights begin at eighteen. The president is directly elected for six years, with a constitutional limit of two terms. The 2020 amendment excluded Putin’s earlier terms from this count. Registration requirements, ‘foreign agent’ legislation and criminal prosecutions restrict who can participate. Russia also organised the 2026 elections in occupied Ukrainian territories. It did not invite independent election observers from the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, but presented other foreign visitors as international observers. \[2, 4\] **Opposition.** Independent opposition has almost no freedom to organise. The Communist Party of the Russian Federation, the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia, New People and A Just Russia form the so-called systemic opposition: permitted parties that do not fundamentally challenge the structure of presidential power. Other critics have been imprisoned, killed, forced into exile or designated ‘foreign agents’. Alexei Navalny died in custody in February 2024\. Public criticism of the war can lead to criminal prosecution. \[5\] # Democracy and the rule of law Elections offer no free and fair opportunity to replace those in power. Independent media, civil society organisations and critical lawyers face severe pressure; some operate from exile. The indices below measure different aspects of this situation. | **Indicator** | **Result** | **Edition and reference year** | | -------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------ | | **Freedom House \[5\]** | Not Free12 out of 100 | 2026Assesses 2025 | | **V-Dem \[6\]** | Electoral autocracyLiberal: 0.06 out of 1Electoral: 0.17 out of 1 | 2026 reportData for 2025 | | **Press freedom \[7\]** | 23.15 out of 100Rank 172 of 180 | 2026 index | | **Corruption perceptions \[8\]** | 22 out of 100Rank 157 of 182 | CPI 2025Published in 2026 | Higher scores indicate more favourable outcomes in these indices. They measure different things. The corruption index measures perceived public-sector corruption, rather than the number of corruption cases. # Peoples and languages According to Russian statistics, Russia has more than 190 ethnic groups. Ethnic Russians form the majority, but the federation is also home to numerous other peoples. Names and classifications vary between sources; ethnicity, citizenship and language use do not necessarily coincide. \[9, 10\] The Volga and Ural regions are home to Tatars, Bashkirs, Chuvash, Udmurts, Mari, Erzya and Moksha, among others. The North Caucasus is home to Chechens, Ingush, Avars, Dargins, Lezgins, Ossetians and Kabardians. Kabardians belong to the wider Circassian, or Adyghe, peoples. Other groups include Kalmyks, Buryats, Tuvans, Sakha (Yakuts) and Nenets. Armenians, Ukrainians and Kazakhs are also part of the population. These are examples, rather than a ranking of the largest or most important groups. \[9\] More than a hundred languages are spoken alongside Russian. Examples include Tatar, Bashkir, Chuvash, Udmurt, Chechen, Ingush, Avar, Dargwa, Lezgian, Ossetian, Kabardian, Kalmyk, Buryat and Sakha (Yakut). ‘Mordvin’ is a collective label: Erzya and Moksha also deserve to be named separately. Some languages have official status within a republic. This does not guarantee equal space in education, administration or everyday life. \[2, 9, 10\] Many minority languages are under pressure. The 2021 census recorded fewer speakers of many languages than in 2010\. Language activists and linguists also warn that self-reported knowledge can overstate everyday use and transmission between generations. Speaker totals and official status therefore tell only part of the story. \[10\] # Historical turning points **1991 - Dissolution of the Soviet Union.** The state founded in 1922 ceases to exist after 69 years. Economic stagnation, reforms, national independence movements and the failed August coup interact. The Russian Federation inherits great-power status but begins with a weak economy and political instability. \[12\] **1993 - A constitution after violence.** During the constitutional crisis, President Boris Yeltsin orders the shelling and storming of the parliament building in Moscow. The constitution adopted afterwards gives the presidency extensive powers. \[2, 12\] **1999-2000 - Putin’s rise.** Putin becomes prime minister in August 1999\. His popularity grows during the Second Chechen War. Following Yeltsin’s resignation on 31 December, he becomes acting president; in March 2000 he wins the presidential election. \[12\] **2008 - War in Georgia.** Russian forces advance deep into Georgia. Dmitry Medvedev is president and Putin prime minister. Russia recognises Abkhazia and South Ossetia as independent states and retains troops there. The European Court of Human Rights finds that Russia exercised effective control there after the fighting. \[13\] **2012-2014 - Return and annexation.** After four years as prime minister, Putin returns to the presidency. In 2014, Russia annexes Crimea and begins its military intervention in the war in Donbas. Western sanctions follow. \[12, 15\] **2022 - Full-scale invasion of Ukraine.** The war accelerates the militarisation of the state and society, domestic repression and the rupture with the European Union and other Western countries. \[5, 15\] # Blind spots ### A society beyond Moscow Russia is more than the Kremlin, Moscow and St Petersburg. Beyond the two metropolises lie regions with different histories, cultures and living conditions. The concentration of political power and wealth in the centre can obscure this diversity. Many places in the deep interior, often called the glubinka, experience poverty and inadequate basic services. Yet this picture should not flatten the differences between regions. The burden of war is also uneven. Research by Mediazona and the BBC Russian Service shows relatively high military death rates in places including Tuva and Buryatia, and in small, remote settlements. Regional disadvantage, recruitment and ethnic identity can overlap. Residence data alone do not establish the ethnicity of those killed. \[11\] ### A war economy with limits The economy has proved more resilient than predictions of rapid collapse suggested. It remains vulnerable. Military spending stimulates defence production, while labour shortages, inflationary pressures and growing budgetary difficulties weigh on other parts of the economy. Production for the front does not necessarily improve everyday life over the long term. In its October 2026 forecast, Finland’s central bank expects a further growth slowdown and increasing economic imbalances, while Russia remains able to finance the war. \[14\] ### An empire with more than one past The Cold War and Soviet nostalgia do not explain all the Kremlin’s ambitions. The tsarist past, the idea of Moscow as the ‘Third Rome’, spheres of influence and claims of historical unity with Ukraine also matter. Putin’s own historical arguments make such references visible. The notion that Russia seeks only a restored Soviet Union is therefore too narrow. This is a framework for interpretation, rather than proof of a single, exclusive motive for war. \[17\] This includes the history of Russia as an empire that expanded over land. For many peoples in the Caucasus, Siberia and elsewhere, that expansion brought subjugation, forced displacement or assimilation. Their histories deserve a place alongside the story of Moscow’s rulers. # Relations with the European Union Russia’s war against Ukraine has fundamentally disrupted the relationship. The Partnership and Cooperation Agreement remains a legal basis for relations, but most institutional dialogues and cooperation programmes have been suspended. Sanctions and the reduction of energy dependence have substantially changed economic ties. Russia has turned more strongly towards China, India and other partners outside the European Union. \[15\] The EU has adopted a phased ban on Russian gas imports: a full ban on liquefied natural gas from the beginning of 2027 and on pipeline gas from autumn 2027, with specific transitional and emergency provisions. Russian oil is already subject to extensive sanctions, with exemptions; the complete phase-out of remaining oil imports follows a separate process. Other energy sources do not automatically fall under the gas ban. \[16\] Finland’s and Sweden’s accession to NATO has also changed security relations in Northern Europe. Cooperation with the Russian state has largely stopped, while contacts with independent journalists, researchers and civil society organisations remain important. \[5, 15\] --- # Sources and methodology Facts checked on 21 October 2026\. Publication years and reference years are distinguished where necessary. Election figures describe the official results and do not validate the elections as free or fair. The population projection is not a current census. **1\.** [United Nations](https://data.un.org/Data.aspx?d=PopDiv&f=variableID%3A12%3BcrID%3A643%3BtimeID%3A77%3BvarID%3A2&ref=europesblindspots.eu) \- World Population Prospects 2024, medium variant for Russia on 1 July 2026. **2\.** [Constitution of the Russian Federation](https://www.minjust.gov.ru/ru/documents/8011/?ref=europesblindspots.eu) \- Articles 5, 65, 68, 81 and 95\. Official Russian text; annexation claims are not the basis for the borders used here. **3\.** [Interfax](https://www.interfax.ru/russia/1118444?ref=europesblindspots.eu) \- United Russia receives 349 seats, 25 September 2026; report on the election commission’s final determination. **4\.** [European election observation](https://www.oscepa.org/en/news-a-media/press-releases/2026/russian-federation-continues-to-violate-international-commitments-in-a-worrying-pattern-failing-to-invite-osce-observers-to-parliamentary-elections?ref=europesblindspots.eu) \- OSCE statement on the absence of an invitation to observe the Duma elections, 6 August 2026; European Platform for Democratic Elections research on foreign visitors and manipulated observation, September 2026\. [EPDE research](https://epde.org/?news=manufactured-legitimacy-fake-observers-at-russias-2026-state-duma-elections&ref=europesblindspots.eu) [Yabloko on candidates](https://eng.yabloko.ru/category/elections/state-duma-elections/state-duma-elections-2026/?ref=europesblindspots.eu) **5\.** [Freedom House](https://freedomhouse.org/country/russia/freedom-world/2026?ref=europesblindspots.eu) \- Freedom in the World 2026, Russia; political rights and civil liberties assessment covering 2025. **6\.** [V-Dem Institute](https://www.v-dem.net/documents/75/V-Dem%5FInstitute%5FDemocracy%5FReport%5F2026%5Flowres.pdf?ref=europesblindspots.eu) \- Democracy Report 2026, dataset v16, data for 2025; Liberal Democracy Index and Electoral Democracy Index. **7\.** [Reporters Without Borders](https://rsf.org/en/country/russia?ref=europesblindspots.eu) \- World Press Freedom Index 2026, Russia country profile. **8\.** [Transparency International](https://www.transparency.org/en/countries/russia?ref=europesblindspots.eu) \- Corruption Perceptions Index 2025, published on 10 February 2026; Russia country profile. **9\.** [Rosstat](https://www.rosstat.gov.ru/vpn/2020/Tom5%5FNacionalnyj%5Fsostav%5Fi%5Fvladenie%5Fyazykami?ref=europesblindspots.eu) \- 2021 census, volume 5 on ethnic groups and languages. Categories and self-reporting require caution; no current population totals for individual groups are derived here. **10\.** [Leyla Latypova in The Moscow Times](https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2023/03/13/languages-in-russia-disappearing-faster-than-data-suggests-activists-warn-a80432?ref=europesblindspots.eu) \- Languages in Russia Disappearing Faster than Data Suggests, Activists Warn, 13 March 2023; interviews on language loss and census limitations. **11\.** [Mediazona and BBC Russian](https://en.zona.media/article/2026/02/24/mapofwar?ref=europesblindspots.eu) \- Four years of war, 24 February 2026; geographical distribution of independently confirmed Russian military deaths. **12\.** [Historical background](https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/BRIE/2026/782661/EPRS%5FBRI%282026%29782661%5FEN.pdf?ref=europesblindspots.eu) \- European Parliament, Russia under Vladimir Putin, 2026; Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Putin’s confirmation as prime minister on 16 August 1999; US State Department, The Collapse of the Soviet Union. [RFE/RL](https://www.rferl.org/a/1091967.html?ref=europesblindspots.eu) [Dissolution of the Soviet Union](https://history.state.gov/milestones/1989-1992/collapse-soviet-union?ref=europesblindspots.eu) **13\.** [European Court of Human Rights](https://hudoc.echr.coe.int/eng?i=001-207757&ref=europesblindspots.eu) \- Georgia v. Russia II, Grand Chamber, 21 January 2021; effective Russian control after the August 2008 fighting. **14\.** [Bank of Finland BOFIT](https://www.suomenpankki.fi/en/news-and-topical/press-releases-and-news/releases/2026/bofit-forecast-for-russia-20262028/?ref=europesblindspots.eu) \- Forecast for Russia 2026–2028, 5 October 2026; economic outlook and budgetary pressures. **15\.** [European External Action Service](https://www.eeas.europa.eu/russia/european-union-and-russian-federation%5Fen?s=177&ref=europesblindspots.eu) \- The European Union and the Russian Federation; legal basis, suspension of cooperation and relations in the context of the war against Ukraine. **16\.** [Council of the European Union](https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2026/01/26/russian-gas-imports-council-gives-final-greenlight-to-a-stepwise-ban/?ref=europesblindspots.eu) \- Decision on the phased gas import ban, 26 January 2026, and Ending Russian energy imports policy overview. Oil is subject to a separate sanctions and phase-out process. [Energy policy overview](https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/policies/ending-russian-energy-imports/?ref=europesblindspots.eu) **17\.** [Vladimir Putin](http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/66181?ref=europesblindspots.eu) \- On the Historical Unity of Russians and Ukrainians, 12 July 2021\. Used as a primary source for the Kremlin’s historical narrative, rather than as a factual historical reference. [Analysis by Maria Domańska for OSW](https://www.osw.waw.pl/en/publikacje/analyses/2021-07-13/putins-article-historical-unity-russians-and-ukrainians?ref=europesblindspots.eu) **18\.** [Natural Earth](https://www.naturalearthdata.com/downloads/10m-cultural-vectors/10m-admin-0-countries/?ref=europesblindspots.eu) \- Admin 0 Countries, 1:10 million scale, Ukraine point of view. Public-domain geographical data; map design by Europe’s Blind Spots. **19\.** [International ties](https://www.opec.org/declaration-of-cooperation.html?ref=europesblindspots.eu) \- Official membership lists and participation in the Declaration of Cooperation between OPEC and other oil producers. OPEC+ is a cooperation framework, rather than a separate international organisation. [G20](https://g20land.org/g20/?ref=europesblindspots.eu) [BRICS](https://brics.br/en/about-the-brics?ref=europesblindspots.eu) [Shanghai](https://eng.sectsco.org/20170109/192193.html?ref=europesblindspots.eu) [Eurasian Economic Union](https://www.eaeunion.org/?lang=en&ref=europesblindspots.eu) [Collective security](https://en.odkb-csto.org/countries/armeniya?ref=europesblindspots.eu)