The challenges to developing democratic policing in post-Soviet societies: the Russian experience

This paper reviews the nature of policing in Russia since the collapse of the Soviet Union, focusing on the major challenges the country continues to face in transforming the police from guardians of the former Communist Party to servants of the public. It concludes by offering an evaluation of the reforms undertaken to date, the prospects for a more democratic and transparent Russian police service in the future, and the broader lessons that can be learnt about the deep-seated problems faced by countries emerging from a post-Soviet past.