Lilia Shevtsova
Gorbachev, Yeltsin, and Putin: Political Leadership in Russia's Transition
Focusing on Russia's three top leaders since 1985, this book examines their goals, evolving ideas, styles of rule, institution-building, and impacts on policy.
Source: Washington

Archie Brown is Professor of Politics at the University of Oxford and author of The Gorbachev Factor. Lilia Shevtsova is senior associate in the Russia and Eurasia Program at the Carnegie Endowment and author of numerous books, including Yeltsin's Russia: Myths and Reality.
Advance Praise
"Four thoughtful academics have given us a very readable guide through the thicket of modern Russian politics. This is one of those books that helps its readers think about a complicated problem by giving them clear, intelligent cues and directions."
—Robert G. Kaiser, author of Russia: The People and the Power and Why Gorbachev Happened
"Indispensable reading for those interested in the transition from Soviet to Russian politics. Students of leadership will be particularly interested in analyses provided by experts with a special sensitivity to the issues of leadership and followership as embedded in the Russian context."
—Barbara Kellerman, Executive Director, Center for Public Leadership, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University
"Seldom do readers have the good fortune to encounter such informative and well-documented assessments of a major country's leaders. The comparison between Gorbachev and Yeltsin is magisterial. On Putin, the authors succeed in identifying some of the most promising as well as the most worrying of his policies."
—Alfred Stepan, Wallace S. Sayre Professor of Government, Columbia University
About the Author
Former Senior Associate, Russian Domestic Politics and Political Institutions Program, Moscow Center
Shevtsova chaired the Russian Domestic Politics and Political Institutions Program at the Carnegie Moscow Center, dividing her time between Carnegie’s offices in Washington, DC, and Moscow. She had been with Carnegie since 1995.
- Putin Has Fought His Way Into a CornerIn The Media
- How Long Russians Will Believe in Fairy Tale?Commentary
Lilia Shevtsova
Recent Work
Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.
More Work from Carnegie China
- Is China Willing to Influence Russia on the Ukraine War?Commentary
Beijing is trying to navigate the overall situation regarding Ukraine, especially the substance of interactions between Washington and Moscow.
- +1
Ellen Nakashima, Zhao Long, Pavlo Klimkin, …
- The Challenges Behind China’s Global South PoliciesCommentary
While China will remain a significant political and economic force in the Global South, its ambition to leverage the Global South as a counterbalance to the United States and the Global North is far from assured.
Xue Gong
- Beyond the Putin-Kim Alliance: How Can the International Community Engage China to Contain Nuclear Risks Over the Korean Peninsula?Commentary
Faced with an increase in strategic maneuvering by Moscow and Pyongyang, Beijing will not sit idly by and allow Putin and Kim to shape the security environment on its behalf.
Tong Zhao
- What Does Xi Jinping Want From Central Asia?Commentary
China’s growing attention to Central Asia is perceived as a harbinger of tectonic shifts in regional geopolitics.
Temur Umarov
- China-Europe Relations, Two Years After Russia Invaded UkraineCommentary
The Russian invasion of Ukraine is a turning point in the EU-China relationship, and evolution of the China-Russia relationship will continue to impact EU-China relations.
Yifan Ding, Alice Ekman