Phantoms of Contemporary Russian Society

The author analyzes a specific phenomenon of public consciousness and behavior; he calls it phantoms. In the author’s view, phantoms are the phenomena that represent specific, sometimes abnormal or extravagant forms of social (public) activities and have a major impact on political, economic and social processes. Those involved in such activities have hypertrophied social characteristics (i. e., they have exorbitant lust for power, unlimited desire to possess wealth, painful desire for fame). In conjunction with personal socio- psychological characteristics they represent a very specific range of political and public figures, representatives of financial oligarchy. Their emergence was made possible in the pivotal era of fundamental political and economic reforms in modern Russia.