In search of an optimal scale: the issue of describing and structuring of the Russian party system

The article is devoted to the analysis of the modern party system of Russia, considered as a unique political and institutional formation that does not lend itself to traditional classifications developed and adapted mainly for Western countries. The authors identify the main stages of the formation of the Russian party system, focusing on the transition from a fragmented and unstable to a more consolidated and functional model. The article proposes an alternative scheme for analyzing parties based on their resource potential and political and legal status. The authors critically examine the traditional left-right scale and other linear models for describing modern party systems as methodologically untenable. The article substantiates the need to develop original scientific and analytical approaches that reflect the specifics of the Russian political landscape and new forms of political mobilization, representation and competition in the context of a modern post-industrial and digital society.