At first, it seemed as if the international financial crisis that broke out in 2008 would have little effect in Russia and the other post-Soviet states. But, by the end of the year, growth was slowing, banks were reluctant to lend, share values had collapsed and unemployment was rising inexorably. The stability of the Putin leadership, it appeared, had been built on the turnaround in economic performance that it had managed to achieve over more than a decade. How would it cope with a sudden reversal? In Ukraine, living standards fell even more sharply. In Belarus, there were fewer obvious signs of economic difficulty, but it could hardly be unaffected by the performance of its major trading partners. Drawing on a wide range of evidence, an international group of scholars address the impact of the international financial crisis in the post-Soviet states and the continuing implications of the crisis for these countries themselves and for the wider world. This book was published as a special issue of the Journal of Communist Studies and Transition Politics, now known as East European Politics.

The collapse of the Soviet Union has engendered one of the most momentous and critical regional transformations of our tiomes through the formation and development of the post-Soviet states. This book explores the politics of post-Soviet transition and the problems which will continue to face these states well into the twenty-first century, as they struggle towards democracy, market reform, ethnic co-existance and integration into a new geoplolitical post-Cold War world order. Richly illustrated with examples drawn from Russian and other post-Soviet primary sources, the author focuses on three broad themes of transition. Firstly, the progression from colonialism to post-colonialism and the consquences of such changes on national identity and the redefinition of national homeland. Secondly, the movement away from totalitarian rule and the factors which both facilitate and challenge the prospects of a democratic future. Thirdly, the process of securing a successful place in the global capitalist economy.

Unsettled and uncertain situations still persist in the former Soviet states of Moldova, Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan, posing a serious threat to the stability of civil society, democratic institutions, and the pursuit of human rights. The cry "no peace, no war" drives the consolidation of separatist regimes and transforms them into de facto states. At the same time, this stalemate undermines the sovereignty and territorial integrity of legitimate states, obstructing their political, social, and economic development and contributing to an ongoing sense of tension. Ceslav Ciobanu identifies the historical roots of these conflicts and proposes effective solutions, paying attention to external factors, such as the EU, the UN, and the relationship between Russia and the United States.

This collection of essays follows on from the Soviet Union: A New Regional Geography published in 1991. It examines the events that have taken place since 1994 in the context of theoretical developments in contemporary geography. Written by authorities from all over the world, it brings us up-to-date with the events in the former Soviet Union - and uncertainty over the future.

The contributing authors, distinguished specialists on the formerly planned economies with decades of experience in the field, offer cogent analyses of the economic, political, social, and geographic dimensions of current reforms. They also review salient features of the old command economic systems, the effects of which even today have not been eradicated.