The creation of proto-elite entities in Russia at the turn of the 19th-20th centuries

The issue under review deals with the interface between political science and history. The paper considers one of the stages of elite formation in the Russian Empire. The emergence of proto-elite, which has led to a ruling elite, is typical for industrial society. There is a lack of research into the phenomenon of proto-elite to date. The author attempts to define the concept of proto-elite and analyze its main characteristics and relationships with the ruling military-bureaucratic elite in the period under study. The research examines three waves of the modern European political elite development, the relationship between the changed social structure and the shift in power, the crisis of monarchy, and the backgrounds to the main proto-elite groups in Russia. The terms ‘political elite’ and ‘ruling elite’ are explained as well.