The sources of territorial resilience in Putin’s Russia

This article aims to explain the sources of territorial resilience in Russia. It demonstrates that the basis of territorial resilience is the "power vertical," i.e. the current model of center–regional relations. This model ensures political centralization and, consequently, political uniformity. The model is supported by several formalized institutions, including the selection of governors, the guidance and monitoring of governors by the presidential administration, and the interactions of governors with the United Russia party leadership. In addition, regional governors are included in patronage networks organized around the highest state officials and "state oligarchs." This additional informal subsystem provides center–regional relations with a flexibility that is important for maintaining resilience.