The irony of history is that the State Duma (1906-1917) was based on the tradition of European parliamentarianism, primarily following the practices of Austria-Hungary and the German Empire. The system of elections to the Russian parliament copied the electoral system of Austria-Hungary. Even the official regulations of the State Duma were based on those of the Austrian Reichsrat in Vienna. On the whole, Russian political institutions prior to the 1917 Revolution developed in line with European institutions, with their own peculiarities, of course. The social revolution created a new political reality, opening the way to the creation of a totalitarian state. The tragic consequences of these revolutionary upheavals we are still experiencing today.