Master 2025/2026

Transformations of Post-Soviet Space: Politics, Societies, Economies

Type: Compulsory course (Politics. Economics. Philosophy)

Delivered by: School of Politics and Governance

When: 2 year, 1, 2 module

Open to: students of all HSE University campuses

Instructors: Yevgeny Ivanov

Language: English

Course Syllabus

Abstract

The post-Soviet/Eurasian space is a great natural experiment for social sciences. Studying its transformation makes it possible to explore a wide range of topical issues: democratic transitions and authoritarian backlashes, state-building and nation-building, the transformation of single political institutions and political regimes in general. The fundamental question of the course is what social sciences can learn from post-Soviet states transformation? This course is an introduction into the big topic of post-Soviet/Eurasian studies. The central scope of the course is newly-emerged polites and its transformation from different angles. Social aspect uncovers the idea of ‘homo soveticus’ as a unique phenomenon. It helps to contemplate how social engineering of a new type of human beings was implemented and affected a wide range of social attitudes. Economic aspect deals with approaches to the transitional economy. These topic embraces not only members of the former USSR but covers all postcommunist regimes that followed different economic tracks switching from a planned economy to free market. And the last but not least aspect touches political processes. It unearths the causes of transformation the former USSR republics into a variety of political regimes from full democracies (Baltic states) to hybrids and tough autocracies (Niyazov's Turkmenistan and Karimov’s Uzbekistan). This provides a good basis for profound comparative studies. The course gives firm grounds to elaborate on the topic of post-Soviet/Eurasian studies and to amplify perspectives.