The role of the minister of education in the process of development of state educational policy in Russia

The article raises the question of the role and degree of independence of education ministers in Russia in developing and implementing educational policy process. The opacity of the decision-making process in our country limits the possibilities for analyzing this problem, however, some public and indirect sources point to the constant educational ministers’ interaction with academics, rectors, investors, and politicians in the course of preparing and implementing educational transformations. The article gives a number of examples of the impact of large organizations and persons of consequence on the decisions taken by the minister over the past two decades. It is the decisions on introduction of the Unified State Examination, reducing number of budget places in higher education institutions and on testing the effectiveness of universities.