The article considers the essence of leadership in the modern Russian situation, based on materials of sociological research analyzes some characteristics of leadership, the Russian political elite sostavlyayuscheysovremennogo management at the regional level.
The author analyzes the degree of influence and personal participation of representatives of the ruling elite of the Smolensk region in building relations with the Republic of Belarus in the framework of transborder cooperation between the regions of the two countries. The evolution of the composition and mechanisms of formation of the regional elite from 1991 to the present is considered as one of the criteria for determining the political regime of the region.
