The Idea of the Ural Republic During the State Transformation of the Russian Federation

Introduction. The phenomenon of the Ural Republic in the context of the Russian Federation federal model of state structure formation in 1993 is studied. The process of the Russian federalism model development at this stage was complicated by a whole complex of problems and contradictions. The movement of the regional authorities in the Sverdlovsk region to create the Ural Republic in the context of the Russian post-Soviet model of the Federal structure is considered. Methods and materials. The archival materials of the Presidential Executive Office of Russia and state authorities of the Sverdlovsk region are the key sources of the research. The main group of materials for the article preparation consists of analytical notes reflecting the views of the current authorities on the nature of the state-territorial structure and fixing the expert and analytical view of the higher state authorities on the developing processes dynamics and the risks associated with them. Analysis. The process of the Ural Republic creation consisting of several stages is analyzed: forming an idea and holding a regional survey on equalizing the powers of the region with the republics; an attempt to offer its views on the federal structure at the Constitutional Assembly and to implement its achievements into the draft Constitution of the Russian Federation; the announcement of the Ural Republic creation by the leadership of the Sverdlovsk region, the establishment and protection of its position; abolition of the Ural Republic. Results. The Ural Republic phenomenon had some influence on the constitutional project development, but its elimination prevented not only the risks of so-called regional separatism, but also a potentially large state transformation, which consisted in the emergence of more independent regions, the formation of a new regional policy.