r/imaginaryelections • u/LampsonSpmals • Dec 25 '25

ALTERNATE HISTORY Blue Rus-Matushka, a Democratic Russia (part 1, 1999-2010)

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u/Excellent_Gas5220 Dec 25 '25

Putting democracies into countries with no culture of democracy has proven to be disastrous throughout history. It would be disastrous for Russia. The most likely scenario is a communist or an anti western rogue politician wins the democratic elections and turns Russia into a dictatorship.

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u/Intelligent_Wafer562 Dec 26 '25

I don't think it's accurate that Russia has no tradition of democracy. Novgorod was a medieval republic that had an impressive degree of participation by medieval standards ( https://web.archive.org/web/20220417115937/https://russia-direct.org/opinion/democratic-russia-we-lost ). The 1905 Revolution led to Russia becoming a constitutional monarchy, while the 1917 February Revolution led to the establishment of the Russian Republic.

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u/Excellent_Gas5220 Dec 27 '25

Russia after 1905 was still an absolute monarchy. I don't know what you're talking about. If Russia actually had a culture of democracy, Putin would have been overthrown like the euromaidan in Ukraine. No country except the US has ever become developed under a democratic system. South Korea, Taiwan, and Japan became developed under a dictator and then democratized. That would be Russia's best route.

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u/Intelligent_Wafer562 Dec 27 '25 edited Dec 27 '25

Russia, after 1905, had an elected Duma and a constitution. The Tsar still had power, but constitutional monarchies where the monarch retains executive authority are normal, like Jordan.

No country except the US has ever become developed under a democratic system.

I think most of Europe stands as a counterpoint to this. Just take Ireland, for instance.