ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the specificities of crisis management policies in Russia and some Eastern European and Asian nations, precipitated mostly by the latter set of factors. It describes the changes that have occurred over the past years in organizations, policies and operations associated with managing crises. The chapter reveals the conditions that have allowed these changes to take place. It highlights the implications of these changes in crisis policy for the public and other actors. The chapter seeks to identify general lessons that might be drawn relating to the Russian experience of crisis management in the post-Soviet era. The peculiarities of crisis management policies in transitional societies are numerous, and are associated with the political, cultural and socioeconomic diversity of the geographical regions and individual nations involved. The chapter considers the Russian crisis management context and experiences, provides valuable empirical data, and makes for interesting conclusions in comparing the Russian experience with that of other transitional democracies.
