The text aims to answer whether (if at all) the concept of imperialism plays any role in the study of non-democratic regimes. The method for finding an answer is an analysis of the literature on the subject, both from the pre-1989 period and the post-1989 era, with a particular focus on the changes in the study of non-democratic regimes that have taken place in the last twenty years. During this period, the legitimacy of different regimes was again more strongly emphasised. This has several implications for the terminological base since it is precisely the aspect of a regime’s capability for expansion that plays a vital role in classifying non-democratic regimes. This issue will be analysed on the basis of the political practice of the Russian state.