Welcome to the Institute For Federalism Research &. Consulting

The Parvus Archive was established in 1983. It takes its name from the pseudonym used by Alexander Helphand in support of the social revolutionary and federalist movements of Europe, China and the Near East at the beginning of the 20th century.

The library contains the following types of documentation:

a) publications and records on the history of federalist ideas and the federalist movements of the 19th and 20th centuries, especially in eastern Europe;

b) Samizdat publications, records concerning Perestroika, government legislative proposals, draft constitutions for the Russian Federation and other sources regarding the transformation process in the countries of the CIS;

c) books and records concerning federalism in countries with no direct links to Europe, notably China, India and the Arab states.

Members of the institute undertake research projects and engage in consulting activities regarding federalism and regionalism. The institute became involved in consulting in the 1980s, working in partnership with Poland’s Solidarnosc free trade union movement. It subsequently acted as a consultancy for a number of government and scientific institutions of the former Soviet Union. Its innovative conception of federalism feeds through to the consulting activities, providing those states engaged in transformation with the possibility of peaceful and consensual development within the limits of their social and cultural traditions. Most of the institute’s consulting work is carried out in eastern Europe, including the Caucasus region, as well as in the People’s Republic of China, various Arab countries, Turkey and the island of Cyprus.

The Parvus Archive finances its research activities from its own funds. Consulting projects are conducted on basis of fees and grants.