Abstract: In this article the author gives attention to the relevant question of the modern political, as well as theoretical science, precisely the coverage by foreign researchers of the history and realities of the establishment of presidential authority in the post-Soviet Russia. It is an important aspect for both, the “transitological” researches, and researches on history of political institutions of the country, including the understanding the roots of its current state. The author examines not only the institutional aspect, but what is equally important, the public opinion with regards to the presidents, and the political institution itself. This article analyzes the foreign research conducted in cooperation with the Russian institute of sociology (Russian Academy of Science), surveys by Pew Research Center, and others. The author concludes that the majority of the English-speaking authors agree on the fact that the society supported the “strong persona” of the president, exactly as proposed by the “superpresidentialism”. During the difficult historical period, the government chose a not quite democratic institutional façade with a grand role of presidential authority, but which was supported by the population.

Keywords: V. Putin, B. Yeltsin, Super presidentialism, public opinion, Post-Soviet Russia, institutional facade, strong personality, The Constitution of the Russian Federation, democracy, authoritarianism