On November 9, 2026, the Meduza publication released a video in which political scientist Nikolai Petrov examines one of the most persistent subjects of Russian political analysis — the question of who will take Vladimir Putin's place as head of state. As emphasized in the video's title itself, the topic of succession has remained a subject of guesswork "for many years," and Petrov proposes looking at it differently: instead of searching for a single heir, he views it as a group of figures who, by his estimate, will govern the country jointly with the incumbent president by 2030.
The thesis of the "collective successor"
Petrov's central assertion, upon which the entire video is built, is that Putin does not have a single, predetermined successor. Instead of the classic "single heir" model, the political scientist describes a scenario in which real power by 2030 will be distributed among several individuals acting alongside the president. According to him, this exact configuration — rather than the replacement of one individual with another — represents, from his perspective, a more realistic picture of the future of Russian governance.
Who is meant and why Putin trusts them
The second key question raised by the video is precisely who these people are and what Putin's trust in them is based on. The material discusses specific names of current Russian leaders, and the visual background of the video is built around portraits of several such figures against the backdrop of an image of the president. Thus, the presentation format emphasizes that this is not about an abstract "elite," but about specific persons whose status and influence the political scientist considers sufficient to participate in state governance in the foreseeable future.
Why this perspective changes the framework of discussion
Petrov's proposal is important primarily as a shift in analytical framework. If succession is interpreted as the search for a single person, then any personnel reshuffles are read as "auditions" for the heir. However, if one proceeds from the model of "collective" governance, the logic of power looks different: the stability of the system is ensured not by the figure of a single successor, but by the balance between several influential groups that maintain ties with the incumbent president. It is precisely this logic of trust and role distribution that the video attempts to trace.
Limitations and status of information
At the same time, it is important to consider that all of the above represents the analytical position of a single expert, rather than a confirmed plan or official statement. The very fact of the publication of the video by Meduza on November 9, 2026, and the participation of Nikolai Petrov in it is confirmed; however, the specific conclusions about the composition of the "collective succession" and the timeline toward 2030 are the political scientist's assessment and cannot be regarded as an established fact. For a complete picture, it is recommended to check the full text/video and additional independent sources.
