Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russia has experienced many changes. These changes were very profound and included a drastic restructuring of the political structure and the economy. When the Russian people became dissatisfied with the communist system, they pushed for regime change, which resulted in the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the introduction of a democratic system. Alongside these political changes was the shift from communism to a free market system. The new system and the old system, although they initially seem to have many differences, are similar in corruption and oppression of the people. For this reason, political and economic transitions from the old communist system to the new democratic system in Russia have not been successful. The Soviet Union had a formal government structure, which included a legislative branch, an executive branch, and a judicial branch. . However, the official government had no real power under Soviet rule and all real power was held by the Communist Party. The Russian Federation, which became a democratic nation after the collapse of the Soviet Union, also includes all three branches of government. However, power does not reside in the political party system but in the government itself. The executive branch consists of both a president and a prime minister. The president has been directly elected every six years since 2012, and previously every four years. They are limited to two consecutive terms, but can last an unlimited number of non-consecutive terms. The Prime Minister is appointed by the President but must be approved by the lower house of the legislature, the Duma. Constitutionally, the prime minister is the middle of the Russian government, although much of Russian political dissent is silenced. Despite this, citizen discontent with the government has grown and culminated in a series of protests in recent years, particularly in response to rigged elections and Putin's policies in Ukraine. Russia has seen many changes since the dissolution of the government. Soviet Union. The country has experienced many key changes, both politically and economically. The Russian government is somewhere between a democratic and a totalitarian system, which causes discontent among many citizens. Economically, Russia's transition has been more successful, but many citizens live in poverty and have a low standard of living. In conclusion, the transition from the communist model to a democratic model oriented towards the free market has not been smooth and has not been successful..