{ "title": "Revisiting the Soviet Breakup", "sourceUrl": "https://www.imf.org/en/publications/fandd/issues/2023/03/book-review-revisiting-the-soviet-breakup-mart-laar", "canonical": "https://www.imf.org/en/publications/fandd/issues/2023/03/book-review-revisiting-the-soviet-breakup-mart-laar", "overlayPath": "/en/publications/fandd/issues/2023/03/book-review-revisiting-the-soviet-breakup-mart-laar/index.md", "summary": "Towards Market Economies: The IMF and the Economic Transition in Russia and Other Former Soviet Countries", "sections": [ { "heading": "Overview", "content": "- Book reviewed: Towards Market Economies: The IMF and the Economic Transition in Russia and Other Former Soviet Countries, reviewed in F&D Magazine.\n- Reviewer: MART LAAR, a former prime minister of Estonia.\n- Review date: March 2023.\n- Central subject: John Odling-Smee’s account of the transformation of planned economies after the 1991 breakup of the Soviet Union." }, { "heading": "Author and perspective", "content": "- Reviewer background:\n - MART LAAR is a former prime minister of Estonia.\n - The reviewer notes personal cooperation with the IMF while serving as prime minister of Estonia from 1992 to 1994.\n- Book author background as described:\n - The author is a retired economist who from 1992 to 2003 headed the IMF team responsible for the former Soviet republics." }, { "heading": "Key observations and findings", "content": "- Conditions at the time of the IMF intervention:\n - The IMF team went to the Soviet Union in 1991 to help the country avoid economic collapse; the reviewer calls this effort “mission impossible.”\n - Little was known about the Soviet Union outside the USSR—only falsified statistics and other lies.\n - The author vividly describes the horror of the initial situation and the chaos that followed the disintegration of the Soviet Union.\n- Human impact and social conditions:\n - The book details the tragedy of ordinary people: endless queues before state food shops with empty shelves, shivering people selling small items by the roadside.\n- Political economy and obstacles:\n - Deep political weakness—above all, corruption and cronyism—prevented the growth of real market economies.\n - Some accused the IMF of destroying the Soviet economy, though the reviewer notes the Soviet economy was on the brink of collapse by the time the Fund was called in.\n- Link to later outcomes:\n - The reviewer argues the failure of reforms led to corruption, cronyism, and oligarchy—which led to Putin and war.\n - The book was written before Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022 and so does not cover that event, but the reviewer states it “describes its roots very well.”" }, { "heading": "Explanations for Baltic success (as reported)", "content": "- Odling-Smee offers several explanations for the success of the Baltic countries.\n- Reviewer adds two remarks:\n - They broke away completely from their Communist past.\n - The Soviet economy collapsed as a result of the collapse of the Soviet system, not because of reforms." }, { "heading": "Style, scope, and tone", "content": "- Narrative features:\n - The book moves smoothly from government offices in the former Communist Party Central Committee building to the dachas of wild young reformers in Arkhangelskoe on the edge of Moscow.\n - Personal anecdotes provide context and color while the author provides a serious recount of economic issues.\n - The reviewer describes the style as calm and reasoned.\n- Balance and reflection:\n - The author does not defend the IMF or himself, but suggests what might have been done differently—maybe not by the IMF, but by the countries in transition." }, { "heading": "Policy implications and recommendations (implied)", "content": "- Speed of reform:\n - Quoting the author (as echoed by the reviewer): “The faster reforms are implemented, the sooner the economy will recover. By delaying difficult reforms, you are just prolonging the agony and pain of people.”\n- Political reform:\n - Addressing corruption and cronyism is necessary to enable the growth of real market economies.\n- National agency:\n - “Russia lost itself, and only Russia can raise itself up.” (statement on responsibility for recovery)\n\nSource: Revisiting the Soviet Breakup — F&D Magazine, March 2023.\n\n---\n\n Content in this bundle\n\n- F&D March 2023: Book Review; Revisiting the Soviet Breakup\n - F&D March 2023: Book Review; Revisiting the Soviet Breakup (Markdown version){rel=\"alternate\" type=\"text/markdown\"}\n - F&D March 2023: Book Review; Revisiting the Soviet Breakup (PDF){rel=\"external\" type=\"application/pdf\"}\n\n---\n\nSource: https://www.imf.org/en/publications/fandd/issues/2023/03/book-review-revisiting-the-soviet-breakup-mart-laar" } ], "bullets": [ "[Markdown version](/en/publications/fandd/issues/2023/03/book-review-revisiting-the-soviet-breakup-mart-laar/index.md)", "[Structured JSON version](/en/publications/fandd/issues/2023/03/book-review-revisiting-the-soviet-breakup-mart-laar/index.json)", "[Bundle manifest](/en/publications/fandd/issues/2023/03/book-review-revisiting-the-soviet-breakup-mart-laar/bundle-manifest.json)", "Authors: MART LAAR", "Published: March 1, 2023", "Book reviewed: Towards Market Economies: The IMF and the Economic Transition in Russia and Other Former Soviet Countries, reviewed in F&D Magazine.", "Reviewer: MART LAAR, a former prime minister of Estonia.", "Review date: March 2023.", "Central subject: John Odling-Smee’s account of the transformation of planned economies after the 1991 breakup of the Soviet Union.", "Reviewer background:", "Book author background as described:", "Conditions at the time of the IMF intervention:", "Human impact and social conditions:", "Political economy and obstacles:", "Link to later outcomes:", "Odling-Smee offers several explanations for the success of the Baltic countries.", "Reviewer adds two remarks:", "Narrative features:", "Balance and reflection:", "Speed of reform:", "Political reform:", "National agency:", "**F&D March 2023: Book Review; Revisiting the Soviet Breakup**" ], "related": [ { "title": "F&D March 2023: Book Review; Revisiting the Soviet Breakup", "role": "document", "sourceUrl": "https://www.imf.org/-/media/files/publications/fandd/article/2023/march/book-review-martlaar.pdf", "summary": { "path": "/-/media/files/publications/fandd/article/2023/march/book-review-martlaar.pdf.md", "mime": "text/markdown" }, "binary": { "path": "/-/media/files/publications/fandd/article/2023/march/book-review-martlaar.pdf", "mime": "application/pdf" } } ], "alternates": { "markdown": "/en/publications/fandd/issues/2023/03/book-review-revisiting-the-soviet-breakup-mart-laar/index.md", "json": "/en/publications/fandd/issues/2023/03/book-review-revisiting-the-soviet-breakup-mart-laar/index.json", "bundleManifest": "/en/publications/fandd/issues/2023/03/book-review-revisiting-the-soviet-breakup-mart-laar/bundle-manifest.json" }, "generatedAtUtc": "2026-09-15T18:22:08.030Z" }