No abstract included. / Arts, Faculty of / History, Department of / Graduate

The purpose of this study is to examine the modifications made in the mechanics of allocation utilized in the Soviet Union, since the death of Stalin, in industry, agriculture, and trade. These sectors of the economy have been chosen because they comprise the predominant portion of productive activity in the Soviet Union, and because these sectors have undergone the most significant changes of their forms of allocation. The crux of the original Stalinist allocation mechanics was quantitative planning: an imperative economic plan formulated by the central planning apparatus to direct the economic processes of the nation. The implementation of the macro-economic plan at the micro level was carried out through a complex system of centralized physical directives and financial controls, and by a system of material incentives to encourage the fulfillment of the centrally defined targets or goals. Within industry, agriculture, and trade, the mechanics of the allocation system were somewhat differentiated in that the combination of centralized directives, physical and financial controls, and the directive effects of prices and material incentives were integrated in varied ways to bring about the desired end results. I will first examine the integration of these variables in forming a 'coherent' guidance system, and their relative dominance in determining the allocation of the nation's resources, during the Stalinist period, and will then consider the modifications made in their relative importance up to the present time. The first chapter of this study deals with industry. It concentrates on the three component parts of the Soviet industrial allocation system: the formulation of production-supply plans; financial planning and the role of prices; and micro-economic targets, controls and incentives. The annual planning procedure described refers specifically to heavy industry. However, this procedure is generally applicable to the macro planning in both agriculture and the consumer goods industry as well, and thus provides background information to the more abbreviated discussions of the planning procedures used in these latter two sectors of economic activity. Similarly, in the discussions of financial planning and prices, the relationship of these variables to heavy industry is intensively investigated but the discussion is expanded to a more encompassing level in order to give a general comprehension of the role of currency and prices in the Soviet economy as a whole. The chapter concludes with an investigation of the relative dominance of physical and financial directives and controls at the micro level, and the integration of the material incentive scheme in the allocative system to encourage behavioural adherence to the centralized directives and controls. The second chapter deals with agriculture. It follows a similar investigative format for both collective and state farms, but places emphasis on collective farm production, and distribution of outputs, for two reasons: collective farm and 'private' plot agricultural activities provide the bulk of the nutritional requirements of both the rural and urban populace; and the guidance system used for state farming is very similar to that used in the industrial sector already discussed. The third chapter deals with trade. It discusses both domestic and foreign trade. With regard to domestic trade, the macro planning procedure is described, the distribution network for consumer goods is detailed, and the microeconomic targets and controls formulated for light industry are distinguished from those used in the allocation of producer goods. The discussion on foreign trade details the roles of foreign trade in the Soviet economy, its integration into the national economic plan, and the reforms in the methods and means utilized to finance the flows of traded commodities. The final chapter of the paper assesses the original Stalinist allocation mechanics in the economic sectors analyzed, and the successes and shortcomings of the modifications made in their respective guidance systems to the present time. Many of the modifications made prior to the general reforms undertaken in 1965 pertained to the administrative-economic bureaucracy and thus did not alter any fundamental characteristics of the Soviet allocation systems. The 1965 reforms increased the role of selected financial and price variables, and material incentives, in an attempt to increase efficiency at the microeconomic level. However, the long-run benefits of the post-Stalin reforms are smaller than originally anticipated. Efficient decision making that would optimize the execution of economic processes in such a way as to maximize the utilization of resources necessitates a rational price system. However, the essence of the Soviet allocation mechanics is still quantitative planning, implemented through centralized administrative controls. / Business, Sauder School of / Graduate

The last few years have witnessed momentous decisions in Soviet fuel policy. After long neglect, a sudden and all out priority was given to the production of petroleum and natural gas, and the creation of a massive petrochemical industry was ordered. The official support and the economically more rational climate of the post-Stalin decade proved a tremendous "boon to the gas, oil and petrochemical industries. In composition the fuel structure of the USSR is fast approaching that of the United States, and the petrochemical build-up— though younger— is also vigorous. The new fuel policy has already put its mark on the map of the country, but the full impact is yet to come. The Soviet energy picture, therefore, is in a state of flux and furious development, and the same goes for the chemical industry. The new fuels have not yet had time to create a crystallized and mature geographic pattern, as in the United States, but such a pattern is in emergence and can now be examined. This paper deals with the position of natural gas in the new Soviet fuel geography and, in addition, considers it’s contribution to the emerging petrochemical industry of the USSR. Since the early fifties the natural gas industry, which was completely undeveloped throughout the Stalin era, experienced a growth, the rate of which exceeded all other branches of the fuel industry of the USSR. Contributing less than one-fortieth to the fuel mix as late as 1955, its share has grown to an eighth in 1963 and is close to a sixth today. The Soviet Union is thought to have far greater resources of gas than any other country in the world but its fully proved reserves are still only a quarter of those of the United States. Over eighty percent of production today comes from only three regions, all in European Russia, yet the areal discordance between production centers and the major consuming areas is quite considerable. With one or two exceptions, the industrial centers of the country have no output on their own and generally are located far from supplying fields. This areal discordance and, consequently, the large-scale transport of natural gas over great distances are increasing, as the immense reserves, believed to exist south and east of the Urals, are proved and brought into production. The amount consumed, the share of gas in the fuel mix, and the sectorial distribution of consumption differ greatly in each economic region. However, the share of industry (the generation of electricity included) everywhere predominates, and far more heavily than in the United States. Variations in the amount consumed and the manner of utilization lend a distinctness of character to the gas industry in each Soviet region. Nevertheless, similarities in certain areas are great enough to permit regional groupings. The essay consists of two main parts: a general and a regional. In Part I the evolution of Soviet fuel policy, the production of, and markets for, natural gas, the characteristics of Soviet reserves and, finally, the Russian pipeline network are considered. Part II examines the principal regions where gas is produced and is utilized, attempts an integrated treatment of the role of gas in the regional economy, and analyses interregional variations. Because the research done so far on that very young industry usually treats it on a national plane, the analysis of regional profile, attempted in Part II, is considered to be the major contribution of this paper. / Arts, Faculty of / Geography, Department of / Graduate

The diploma thesis "International business strategy of company Emco" describes briefly production,import and export activities of the company Emco and escpecially talks about activities of Emco on Russian market.

The thesis aims at analyzing the consequences of centralization policies in Russia and its impact on the quality of democracy in the country. Centralization is believed to strengthen states' political power by increasing the effectiveness of governance and proliferation of secession movements. However centralization is also very often associated with antidemocratic governance because it implies the limitation of local authorities' power which can lead to decrease of local official's responsiveness, people participation etc. Thus there should be taken into account many factors when assessing whether the centralization policy is necessary or not.

In recent years, the Russian Federation has seen a dramatic rise in morbidity and mortality from tuberculosis (TB), attributed in part to an increase in alcohol use disorders (AUDs), which are associated with worse TB treatment outcomes. This study describes the knowledge, attitudes and practices of physicians who treat TB patients in Tomsk, Russia. We conducted semistructured interviews with 16 TB physicians and 1 addiction specialist. Interviews were audiorecorded, transcribed, translated and systematically analyzed. We identified four key domains: Definitions of alcohol use and abuse and physicians' knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding these problems. Physicians described patients as largely precontemplative and reluctant to seek treatment. Physicians recognized their limited knowledge in diagnosing and treating AUDs but expressed interest in acquiring these skills. Few options are currently available for treatment of AUDs in TB patients in Tomsk. These findings suggest that Tomsk physicians are aware of the need to engage AUDs in TB patients but identify a knowledge gap that restricts their ability to do so. Training TB physicians to use simple screening instruments and deliver evidence-based alcohol interventions improves TB outcomes among patients with co-occurring AUDs.

After the military intervention in Ukraine in 2014, and the swift, bloodless annexation of Crimea, the international community recognized Russia as an expert on hybrid warfare. However, the ongoing conflict in Donbas unleashed by Moscow during the second less successful hybrid campaign remains a sore point not only for Ukraine but also for Russia which has to cope with costly consequences in order not to lose in the East of Ukraine and more importantly in its undeclared war on the West. This thesis conducts a comparative analysis of two Russian hybrid warfare models: (1) in Crimea; (2) in Eastern Ukraine, and focuses on the following research questions: Why was the Russian hybrid warfare in Crimea more successful than in Donbas? What measures can the state take to improve its ability to face hybrid attacks? The findings reveal that despite the presence of a set of common factors, the different degrees of success and outcomes of both cases are attributable to the fact that successfully employing the full spectrum of hybrid warfare, is actually bound not only to a number of prerequisites but also with specific favorable features of the conflict zone and several critical elements. While hybrid tactics vary depending on country and region, it is built on exploiting the enemy's vulnerabilities, the...

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