Goverlicious — Russian Federation

Russian
Federation

Вертикаль власти · Power Vertical · Updated October 2026

Russia's formal constitutional structure mirrors a conventional presidential republic, with elections, a bicameral legislature and a constitutional court. It isn't one in practice. Power runs through the 'vertical of power' (вертикаль власти) — personal loyalty to Vladimir Putin, enforced by the security services and rewarded through patronage, not through the institutions printed in the constitution. This atlas maps both layers: the legal architecture, which is largely decorative, and the real chain of command running through the Security Council, the siloviki clans and a managed political system that delivered a record 349-seat supermajority for the ruling party in September 2026's wartime election.

System

Federal Presidential Republic (de facto autocracy)

Population

144M

Legislature

Federal Assembly (bicameral)

President

Vladimir Putin (since 2000)

GDP

~$2.2T (war economy)

Elections

Managed democracy

Does the org chart tell the truth?8/100

Shadow rulesFormal rules

Federal Districts

Legend

Putin / Supreme Authority

Formal / Official State

Siloviki & Shadow Power

Federal Districts

Tier I The Tsar — Supreme Authority

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Tier II Formal Executive (Presidential Administration)

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Tier III Key Ministries & Agencies

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Tier IV Federal Assembly (Managed Legislature)

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Tier V Regional Governors

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Tier VI Siloviki — The Security ClanShadow

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Tier VII Oligarchs & Patronage NetworksShadow

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Tier VIII Legitimacy InfrastructureShadow

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