This book, based on extensive original research in a range of Russian provinces, examines political parties in the new Russia, exploring in particular how party activism on the ground actually works in practice.

Since the break-up of the Soviet Union in 1991, Russia's party system has suffered a difficult and turbulent infancy. Moscow based parties have had only very limited territorial penetration, and fragmentation has been one of its most significant features.
Based on extensive fieldwork in three Russian regions, this book examines the development of the country's party system and the role played by parties in regional politics. Using a comparative approach, it scrutinises the internal structures and activities of the parties, looks at their decision-making processes, their everyday party life, the activities of party members, and the role of regional party organisations in federal and local election campaigns.

'A work of great empirical depth and thoroughness ... this pioneering book should be read by anybody working on Russian regional politics, Russian political parties and Russian democratization more generally.' - Political Studies Review