The Russian left has barely emerged from the shadow of Stalin, but there are significant signs of change.

How do left-wing parties and movements fare in Russian politics? Luke March provides an overview of Russia’s left and its role in the Russian party system. He argues that despite the Russian Communist Party (KPRF) still remaining the second largest political party in the Russian parliament, the Russian left still remains remarkably weak and fragmented. Nevertheless there is some evidence of ‘Europeanisation’ in terms of the Russian left becoming closer to contemporary European patterns, with a stronger social-democratic movement and less reliance on the KPRF.