Alternate post-Communist Russia?

Given the OTL trajectory of Russia from a communist dictatorship to the rather right-wing "republic" of today, I wonder what more-or-less plausible options there were in the 1990s for what Russia's political system would look like today, once the August coup had been pulled off and there was no chance that the Soviet Union would survive. I would guess that restoration or recreation of the monarchy was extremely unlikely, but other than that...?
 
There's always the possiblity of civil war: ISTR some concern about that back in '91-92. And not just any civil war: one with nukes. (shudder)
 
There's always the possiblity of civil war: ISTR some concern about that back in '91-92. And not just any civil war: one with nukes. (shudder)

Well, hopefully the fact that each party wants to actually rule Russia when the thing is done, rather than just have a burned-out wasteland, would keep them in check. Hopefully.

If it doesn't, then Russia becomes ex-Russia. The descendants of the Whites might think themselves lucky...
 
Or even worse, Eduard Limonov. I shudder to think :eek:

Exactly. The basic fact of the matter was that there just were no prominent figures in Russia in 1991 with anything even approximating what we consider democratic attitudes. Boris "I'm-too-drunk-to-kill-you-today" Yeltsin was pretty much the best Russia had to offer at that point.
 
Yeltsin was the best of a bad bunch, no question about it. Zhirinivosky's the type who would start a war with Russia's neighbors to "bring them back under Moscow's fold", and push the big Red Button when things go south on him. The man really believed at the time that all the ex-Soviet states wanted to be back under Moscow's rule, and the same thing applied to Alaska. Hell, he probably still thinks that way.
 
Yeltsin was the best of a bad bunch, no question about it. Zhirinivosky's the type who would start a war with Russia's neighbors to "bring them back under Moscow's fold", and push the big Red Button when things go south on him. The man really believed at the time that all the ex-Soviet states wanted to be back under Moscow's rule, and the same thing applied to Alaska. Hell, he probably still thinks that way.

So...then the answer to the question I posed is basically "There were no plausible alternatives, due to the lack of any qualified leaders of alternative movements. Yeltsin may have been a drunkard, but at least he could pick a good successor; most of the other candidates were more-or-less psychotic, or at least not fully in touch with reality."
 
I'm not sure about that. Yeltsin was no George Washington, but who else was big enough to take power in Russia at the time? You think Yeltsin's bad? Try President Zhirinovsky.

Zhirinovsky was a boogeyman, blown out of proportions. I remember when he was making headlines and people said he was a harmless fool, unable to gain power. The response was "same was said about hitler in 1920s". When he faded away everybody forgot about him, first group was decent enough not to gloat over being proven right, second group kept quiet so not to be reminded of their cry wolf shouts.
 
A democratically inclined leader isn't necessarily best for Russia after the dissolution. If Yeltsin is any indicator, politicians that are taking cues from Western powers are going to destabilize Russia even further. Personally, I feel someone like Zyuganov from the CPRF would be best at maintaining the well-being of Russians. Of course, it would not be very beneficial for democratic processes in the long run, but if anything, the platform of the CPRF has shown willingness for reform, especially with the die-off of old guard bureaucrats in the 1980's from the CPSU.

At the very least, a Zyuganov Russia wouldn't be left crippled for the 1990's and would be able to address the instabilities of Eastern Eurasia somewhat.
 
Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn returns in 1990 and runs for office on a truth-and-reconciliation kind of platform, combined with his back-to-roots Russian nationalism / religious orthodoxism appeal?
 
Yeltsin was the best of a bad bunch, no question about it. Zhirinivosky's the type who would start a war with Russia's neighbors to "bring them back under Moscow's fold", and push the big Red Button when things go south on him. The man really believed at the time that all the ex-Soviet states wanted to be back under Moscow's rule, and the same thing applied to Alaska. Hell, he probably still thinks that way.
Though to be fair, the Union referendum of 1991 showed that most of the Soviet republics did want to remain in the USSR - except for the Baltic republics, Georgia, Armenia, and Moldova, all of the "ex-Soviet states" voted by overwhelming majority to remain in the union...
 
The problem is not Yeltsin per se, but with the succession to Yeltsin. Prevent Putin's rise, and Russia could be different.
 
Another option is if the coup is discovered early and Gorbachev keeps reforming the country slowly ... I always wanted to see that what if... and I think is the only one of the contemporary leaders capable of doing it ...
 

Warsie

Banned
Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn returns in 1990 and runs for office on a truth-and-reconciliation kind of platform, combined with his back-to-roots Russian nationalism / religious orthodoxism appeal?

That is AWESOME. Though the non-russian regions would secede a heck of a lot quicker

Though to be fair, the Union referendum of 1991 showed that most of the Soviet republics did want to remain in the USSR - except for the Baltic republics, Georgia, Armenia, and Moldova, all of the "ex-Soviet states" voted by overwhelming majority to remain in the union...

link please i am interested in this.
 
I know it's wikipedia, but they do have an article on the subject here. It's why I specified post-coup, since that was the point at which the reorganization attempts were pretty much doomed.
 
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