Trade, Development and Institutions: Late Imperial Russia and the Soviet Union

Session Submission Type: Panel

Brief Description

This panel discusses the effects of trade, geography and institutions on economic growth and development in late Imperial Russia and the Soviet Union. Theocharis Grigoriadis uses geographical data to explain cultural diversity and underdevelopment in the Russian Empire. He proposes a spatial theory of culture and underdevelopment that maps cultural and religious beliefs onto spatial preferences of residence and economic activity. Martin Kragh investigates changing Soviet expropriation patterns over time. Using a detailed data set for Swedish assets expropriated by Soviet authorities, he examines the differences between the two expropriation events in 1917 and 1939. He argues that the difference can be explained with reference to external security considerations. Marvin Suesse provides evidence on the negative effect of nationalist conflict on trade integration and economic growth in late Soviet Union. His results stem from an empirical gravity framework, which is derived from first principles by a game-theoretic modeling of Soviet internal trade during the break-up phase.

Sub Unit

• Economic History/Transition Issues/Emerging Markets

Chair

• Susan J Linz, Michigan State U

Papers

• Finance and Revolution in Late Imperial Russia - Theocharis Grigoriadis, Freie U Berlin (Germany)

• From Roving to Stationary Bandit? Soviet Expropriation Patterns 1917-1941 - Martin Kragh, Uppsala Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies, Uppsala U (Sweden)

• Breaking the Unbreakable Union: Nationalism, Trade Disintegration and the Soviet Economic Collapse - Marvin Suesse, Humboldt U (Germany)