A violently repressive ruler like Ivan IV (a.k.a. the Terrible, who ruled from 1533-1584), long held up as the embodiment of Russia’s “all-powerful ruler” tradition, is now seen as an aberrant exception. Indeed, he almost destroyed the carefully built-up scaffolding that the Russian court created to rule a very large territory in conditions of economic scarcity — as well as a state apparatus that was very weak by European standards. When functioning optimally, the early modern Russian state was structured as an oligarchy, in which the czar, sometimes quite weak, shared power with powerful aristocratic clans.
Washington Post: Why authoritarian rule is not Russia’s history – or destiny
Russian President Vladimir Putin toasts with attendees after a ceremony to bestow state awards on military personnel who fought in Syria, at the Kremlin in Moscow on Dec.28, 2017.
