Populist practices in the context of presidential elections in the Russian Federation in 2000-2018

The article attempts to consider some methods of populist practices of candidates used during the presidential elections in the Russian Federation. Its aim is to contribute in better understanding of the specifics of these practices in the context of the currently established authoritarian democracy in Russia. Summarizing the collected empirical and analytical data, the authors identify the main factors in formation of populism as an integral element of Russian elections. They proceed from the assumption that the specifics of the political processes of the 1990s and the first two decades of the new century determine populism and its mobilization role in election campaigns. The article discloses the most important causes and consequences of the short-term effectiveness of populism as an electoral strategy of Russian political parties.