Political system of Russia

The Russian Federation is a constitutional state headed by the President (formerly the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (RSFSR), a republic of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR)). Russia became the Russian Federation following the dissolution of the Soviet Union in December 1991. Administratively, it comprises over 83 subjects. Its subdivisions are: 21 autonomous republics, 46 oblasts, 2 federal cities (Moscow and St. Petersburg), Jewish Autonomous Region, and 4 autonomous districts, each having equal rights.

The state powers are divided among the legislative, executive and judicial branches which are checked and balanced by the President. The legislative power belongs to the Federal Assembly, consisting of the Federation Council (upper house) and the State Duma (lower house). After the collapse of communism in 1991, a new Duma was set up. Each Chamber of the Russian Parliament is headed by the Speaker.

A bill may be brought in in either of the two Chambers but to become a law it must be approved by both Chambers and signed by the President. The President may veto the bill. The President is the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces; he makes treaties, enforces laws, and appoints ministers to be approved by the Federal Assembly. The executive power belongs to the President and our country Government (the Cabinet of Ministers) headed by the Prime Minister. The country Prime Minister is appointed by the President and approved by the State Duma.

The judicial power belongs to the system of courts: the Supreme Court, the Constitutional Court, as well as federal and regional courts.

The state insignias of Russian Federation are the white-blue-red Flag (Tricolor) and the Golden double-headed (or bicephalous) Eagle. The national flag of Russia is more than 300 years old. The Russian Emperor Tsar Peter the Great originally designed the flag for his fleet of ships. By the Royal Decree this flag officially became the National Flag of all Russia on January, 20, 1705. The flag had 3 horizontal stripes: white, blue and red. At that time these colours meant the divine world, the skies and the material world respectively.

The white-blue- red flag lived not very long. In the XVIII century the colours of the flag’s stripes were changed into black, yellow and white according to the German orientation of the Court’s ministers. In October 1917 the state flag had one golden five-point star, a hummer and a sickle on the red field, symbolizing the revolution and new state: the union of its workers and peasants.

Under the low of the Russian Federation the National Flag was adopted anew on the 25-th of December, 2000. It has three horizontal white, blue and red stripes symbolizing the revival of the Russian sovereignty. The flag stripes are equal in size. The flag’s colours have got their deep meaning: white symbolizes now greatness, nobility and freedom, blue – honor and the colour of the Mother of God – Patroness of our land, red – generosity, courage and blood “shed for Faith and Fatherland”. The day of The Russian Federation’s National Flag is celebrated on the 22-nd of August.

The Golden Two-Headed Eagle was borrowed by the Tsar Ivan III from the Byzantine Empire. In 1917 after the October Revolution the Russian Coat of Arms was abandoned but in 1994 it was approved as the official symbol of Russia by the State Duma.

Russia is a multinational state. It has the world’s eighth-largest population. It is populated by 128 various ethnic groups: Russians, Tatars, Ukrainians, Chuvash, Belarusians, Mordva, Nentsy, Dolgany, Evenki, Eskimos and others. According to the last census our country population is about 150 million. Only 7 of 128 ethnic groups populating Russia count over a million people. Russians comprise 120 million out of 150. There are also more than 10 - 15 million immigrants in Russia.

Russia is considered the Soviet Union's successor state in diplomatic matters and is a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council. It is also one of the five recognized nuclear weapons states. Russia is the leading nation of the Commonwealth of Independent States, a member of the G8, the G20 as well as other international organizations.
Russia has a multiparty system. The largest political parties are the United Russia, the Liberal Democratic, the Communist party, Spravedlivaya Rossiya, and some others.

The foreign policy of the Russian Federation is that of international cooperation, peace and friendship with all the nations of the Globe.

Topical vocabulary

Exercise1.