Regional Development in Russia : Past Policies and Future Prospects Book

Reporting the findings of a joint Swedish-Russian research project, economists overview Russia's regional development during the entire Soviet period, and analyze the array of regional problems facing Russia at the birth of the 21st century. For the Soviet period they reveal that the development of heavy industry actually reduced regional inequalities, but that disparities widened as the economy diversified, and that the science of regional planning never achieved practical application during a regime of central planning. Among the important factors contributing to cohesion and disintegration in Russia today, they cite ethnicity, religion, and Russian nationalism. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR