Editor's Introduction

The present issue of >i>Problems of Economic Transition>/i> reflects a sampling of scholarly research focused on the socioeconomic issues that have confronted Russia since 1991. Russia has undergone profound changes, yet most of the attention has concentrated on economic policy and the reform of political institutions. Comparatively less scholarshipâwith some significant exceptionsâhas examined the impact of economic and political reform on social institutions and processes. What scholarship exists paints a troubling picture for the future health and well-being of the Russian population. The contributions published in this issue of >i>PET>/i> reflect research in several areas of socioeconomic policy: demographic trends in Russia, migrational processes within the Russian Federation, the status of health-care reform, and household savings as a potential source of economic growth. These were all completed well in advance of the August 1998 financial crisis and the subsequent further collapse of the Russian economy. Consequently, these articles are interesting not solely as examples of scholarship, but as guideposts to evaluate the impact of further economic calamity on important social and economic trends in Russia.