This book investigates the structural and political factors that led to the failure of democratic transition in Russia following the collapse of the Soviet Union. Authors Graeme Gill and Roger D. Markwick examine the transition period from the Gorbachev era through the Yeltsin administration. They argue that the Russian political elite prioritized the consolidation of personal power over the establishment of genuine democratic institutions, effectively sabotaging popular control from the outset.

Experts recognize this work as a critical analysis of the institutional failures inherent in Russia's post-Soviet political development. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose and the authors' rigorous focus on elite-driven political maneuvering.