ブラジル・中国・インドとともに今日の国際社会で「BRICs」と呼ばれる新興経済国群のひとつであるロシア経済は世界的な重要性を持つものです。鉱物資源をはじめとする豊富な天然資源を有し、世界最大の輸出国のひとつとして国際穀物相場に影響力を持つだけでなく、世界2位の規模の軍需産業大国ゆえ外交における発言力も増しています。ソ連時代の中央計画経済とも、市場主義経済とも異なり、国と市場、規制・介入と自由、天然資源と人の知恵が独特に混ざり合った独特なロシア経済を概説します。
　　

• Provides a balanced analysis of the different features of the Russian economy, which is one of the largest in the world
• Provides a historically-rooted account of the development of the Russian economy since the imperial era
• Considers Russia's failure to build a Western-type market economy
• Uses comparative data to show where Russia's economy is located in a global context

     
Russia today is as prominent in international affairs as it was at the height of the Cold War. Yet the role that the economy plays in supporting Russia's position as a 'great power' on the international stage is poorly understood. For many, Russia's political influence far exceeds its weight in the global economy. However, Russia is one of the largest economies in the world; it is not only one of the world's most important exporters of oil and gas, but also of other natural resources, such as diamonds and gold. Its status as one of the largest wheat and grain exporters shapes commodity prices across the globe, while Russia's enormous arms industry, second only to the United States, provides it with the means to pursue an increasingly assertive foreign policy. All this means that Russia's economy is crucial in serving the country's political objectives, both within Russia and across the world. Russia today has a distinctly political type of economy that is neither the planned economy of the Soviet era, nor a market-based economy of the Euro-Atlantic variety. Instead, its economic system is characterised by a unique blend of state and market; control and freedom; and natural resources alongside human ingenuity.
     
The Russian Economy: A Very Short Introduction introduces readers to the dimensions of the Russian economy that are often ignored by the media and public figures, or exaggerated and misunderstood. In doing so, it shows how Russia's economy is one of global significance, and helps explain why many of Russia's enduring features, such as the heavy hand of the state and the emphasis on military-industrial production, have persisted despite the immense changes that took place after the disintegration of the Soviet Union in 1991.