The contemporary Russian left after communism: Into the dustbin of history?

The steep decline of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation has considerable implications for the broader left in Russia. It is likely to be an irreversible decline. This provides opportunities for a revived non-communist left, which has shown recent signs of resurgence. Nevertheless, the Russian left as a whole remains deeply disorientated, and the obstacles to revival are evident. These include the weakness of leadership and organization, ever more active state manipulation of the party system and the left in particular, the lack of an attractive electoral appeal grounded in stable social support, and, perhaps above all, the continued influence of Russian nationalism on the discourse of the Russian left.