ABSTRACT
Thus far, the reform process in Russia can be considered to be at best only a partial success. Among its other shortcomings, the reforms created a climate in which neither businessmen nor government officials had any serious interest in adhering to the rule of law, much less to conventional Western business codes. Such practices have not brought about the collapse of the economy (although there have been some near misses), but they have led to enormous abuse, waste, missed opportunities and economic distortions. Nonetheless not everything is disheartening. The economy did begin to grow in 1999 and there have been occasional signs that some can-and have-made it honestly and profitably.
