Russia stands on the threshold of a historic transition. A new president, Dmitry Medvedev, will take power next month – at 42, the youngest Russian leader since the last tsar, Nicholas II. And for the first time, the outgoing head of state is leaving office not in a coffin, in ill health or under duress.
Instead, Vladimir Putin is stepping down from the presidency, as the constitution requires and at the peak of his powers and popularity. But, in another first for Russia, he is not leaving the political stage. He is set to become prime minister under Mr Medvedev and so continue as a dominant force. Some believe he will remain, for a while at least, Russia’s true leader.
