How Putin Rules Russia's Nomenklatura

Abstract

This analysis investigates Vladimir Putin's strategies for managing Russia's neo-nomenklatura, specifically analyzing deputy ministers and federal executive deputy body heads between 2018 and 2024. Drawing on a comprehensive dataset, we contend that Putin's rule relies on a combination of escalating fear, consistent career incentives, and pervasive socialization. Despite a marked increase in hard repression in 2024, our findings indicate the core mechanisms of elite recruitment, intra-systemic mobility, and post-dismissal integration have largely endured the initial years of the full-scale invasion. This mix of continuity and adaptability in personnel management is key to the regime's sustained resilience through the war.