A diverse variety of informal political groups emerged during the presidency of
Vladimir Putin. They include remnants of the so-called the Yeltsin Family,
Sankt Petersburg lawyers and -economists, and security-intelligence elements called the
siloviki.
Background
When Putin came to power, he had few protégés or long-term associates, and had to balance various competitive elements as he crafted his team. In contrast to the Yeltsin years, Putin's regime was marked by personnel stability, a gradual elevation of trusted associates and coalition-building across competing interests both within the presidential administration and with other political actors.
Overview
As
President Vladimir Putin, former employee of the
Leningrad and
Leningrad Oblast KGB Directorate and former Chief of the Committee for External Relations of
Saint Petersburg Mayor's Office, had come to the presidency in 2000, many political observers noticed quick career promotion of bureaucracy and businesspeople from
Saint Petersburg to the federal power bodies (especially the
Presidential Executive Office, a very influential institution that has always been totally controlled by the presidential authority) and large state-controlled companies (such as
Gazprom and
Rosneft) and their struggle against old Moscow elites loyal to
Boris Yeltsin's family, known as
Family group, as well as against influential media tycoon
Boris......
Read More