The Key Trends in Forming the Governance Elite in Russia in 2020—2030

The Russian political system has remained stable for many years. Now we are approaching the period of the so-called transit of power, associated with the end of the fourth legislature of President Vladimir Putin in 2024. Experts, politicians, scientists are hypothesizing about how Russia will develop in the future, who will replace the leader, will the transition be smooth or will we face a difficult period of political upheaval. Usually, analysts are guessing about a future Putin’s successor without striving to understand deeper processes of establishment of a new generation of governors who will carry out the transition of power. However, Russia’s development strategy depends on who is going to manage the economy, the public sector, and security area in short term. The authors attempt at creating a collective portrait of the governance elite of the so-called second echelon of power, who will come to the front in the nearest future. The paper aims at identifying the key trends in the establishment of this group, as well as the specifics of the life path of people who are now at the springboard of power.