This course will enable students to understand state and civil society relations in the post-Soviet transformation. The course aims to introduce students to the main theoretical debates concerning the causes and the nature of the political, social, and economic transformation from communism; to provide theories of transition, democratization and theoretical approaches to state-society relations while explaining varieties of post-Soviet transition. The course will particularly focus on the formation of civil society organizations (non-government organizations, unions, movements, umbrella groups), their aims and activities, their role in the process of transition and democratization and the nature of the relationship between governments and civil society organizations. The course will also explore the impact of the international element (international governmental and non-governmental organizations) on governments and NGOs and its role enable in the formations of state civil society relations.