Izvestiia as a Mirror of Russian Legal Reform

In this Article, Professor Foster explores the breakdown of legal authority in post-Soviet Russia by examining the experience of the Russian newspaper Izvestiia. The author recounts the power struggles between the Russian president and the parliament, each seeking to exercise sole control over the destiny of Izvestiia and of post-Soviet Russia. Professor Foster argues that Izvestiia's battle for survival is merely symptomatic of the overall structural, procedural, and attitudinal obstacles to Russian legal reform in the post-Soviet era. The author concludes that the key to successful establishment of a stable, democratic, law-based state is a fundamental reconstitution of Russian legal tradition, culture, and language.