The dissolution of the Soviet Union has provided scholars with tremendously rich material for the study of comparative nation building. After a decade of post-Soviet nation building certain patterns emerged, and not always the most obvious ones. Some states seemed to manage well against high odds, while others appeared to be disintegrating or sinking slowly into oblivion. To a remarkable degree the former Soviet republics chose different models for their nation building. This book examines the preconditions for these endeavours, the goals the state leaders are aiming at, and the means they employ to reach them.