"Machiavelli's realist views on politics are for us the key to success," said Yekaterina Yegorova, 41, who holds a doctorate of political science and is a founder of the firm Nikkolo M, named after the Italian political philosopher.
Since its founding five years ago, Nikkolo M has been a part of the many changes in an industry that originated with what Yegorova dubs "interior consulting" done for apparatchiks of the Soviet Union -- advising on policy rather than politics.
Now, the firm's address book contains the likes of President Boris Yeltsin, for whom it was one of 10 political consulting agencies working on last summer's presidential election. Its respectable track-record was enhanced in the recent gubernatorial elections.
"Out of the five [gubernatorial] candidates we worked for, four of them won," said Yegorova, ticking off successful races in Saratov, Khabarovsk, Omsk and Sakhalin.
Although Yegorova declined to say how much money her firm made, she did hint at the kind of money running through the Russian political system during elections -- between $300,000 and $400,000 per candidate for a gubernatorial race.
"People would be angry to know how much money politicians spend on their election campaigns," she said.
Nikkolo M was founded in 1992, but its political consulting work dates back to 1989 when Yegorova and another company founder, Igor Mintusov, teamed with a third friend to advise human rights activist Sergei Kovalyov when he won a seat in the Supreme Soviet.
Open elections to the State Duma in 1993 ushered in a boom era for Russia's political consulting companies.
Today, Yegorova said it is difficult to be certain how many political consulting firms are in operation, as many are not registered, but she estimated there are about 14 firms which are 100 percent Russian-owned.
Foreigners firms can operate in Russia, but many keep a low profile due to the impression it may leave with voters, said one foreign consultant.
Competition among the Russian firms is not yet high, Yegorova said, as there is plenty of work to go around.
Having developed their political strategies and employed them during last year's hectic elections, Nikkolo M is preparing the next step: moving into the business arena. "We will create the image of banks, financial-industrial groups and of their leaders," said Igor Mintusov, also a company founder.
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