%2c_disputed_Crimea_and_Donbass.svg)
Federalism is formally established in theConstitution of Russia, with references to it included in thepreamble and throughout the document. In practice, Russia functions as a centralizedunitary state underVladimir Putin, suppressing movements for proper federalism.
On 31 March 1992, theTreaty of Federation between the central Russian government and thefederal subjects was signed. Along with establishing a nominally federal structure, it involved anasymmetrically federal system in which so-called"sovereign republics" would be more autonomous than other federal subjects. The republicsdeclared their own sovereignties, but remained a part of the Russian Federation, and the treaty was "sharply skewed toward centralism". Additionally, the 1993Constitution of Russia abolished these sovereignties altogether, and after changes in the government, leaders of federal subjects began being appointed by Moscow.[1]
In the 1990s, President Yeltsin's administration relied on ad hoc, unconstitutional agreements with regional elites, leading to a fragmented legal framework that undermined federal law coherence.[2]
While Russia is nominally afederation, in practice it has functioned as a centralized unitary state, especially under the authoritarian regime of Vladimir Putin.[3][4][5][6] Movements in Russia to establish real federalism or regional autonomy are suppressed by authorities, who label proponents of federalism as "dangerous" separatists.[1]
Russian federalism is thus characterized as unstable, marked byimperial remnants rather than democraticpluralism.[7] The federal structure is heavily influenced by the Soviet era, which established undemocratic ethno-territorial pseudo-federalism under centralized control, complicating the subsequent development of a cohesivenation state.[7] As genuine federalism is argued to be impossible withoutdemocracy; Russia's authoritarian tendencies result in a system that is federal in name but unitary and imperial in practice. The governance model reflects elitepatronage and informalnegotiations, resembling imperial rule rather than a true federalist framework.[8]
Because of this, Russian federalism is mostly a bureaucratic term that obscures a hierarchical reality, with vestigial institutions and intentional asymmetries, leading to a distinctly centralizing trajectory.
