Russia on the Brink: Bandit capitalism, social despair

Russia's transition from a command economy under rigid communist control to fledgling free market democracy has been accompanied by remarkably little bloodshed, apart from Chechnya's costly war of secession. But there has been a lot of private and public economic hardship and suffering, and the country has remained in turmoil, with the ailing President Yeltsin veering from bed-ridden torpor to sudden bursts of dramatic activity. Government policy is hampered by frequent changes of personnel and the imminence of elections.

Meanwhile the economic crisis continues, with a widening gap between the rich few and the poverty-stricken majority. This UGI looks at the state of Russia today.

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