The Oligarchs in Contemporary Russia: From State “Capture” to Subjection to State “Predation”

This article explores the development of interrelations between state and business in post-soviet Russia. It initially focuses on the oligarchs who emerged in the 1990s under President Boris Yeltsin and were associated with the so called ‘state capture’ model – the appropriation of the public sector (essentially the economic sphere) by private actors in the early 2000s. The article then argues that oligarchs have been turned into “state servants” since Vladimir Putin’s rise to the presidency. The empowerment of what may be described as a ‘predatory’ state has paved the way towards the reestablishment of its role as a major political and economic actor. Although this shift in the patterns of interactions between state and business has transformed the system of interest representation, its core element - patron-client politics – has remained practically intact.