post-Soviet Republics Research Articles

Evolution of the Belarus-Russia Union State: from integration to attempts of incorporation

Russian-Belarus political and economic integration was one of the basic factors of the forming of the neo-authoritarian regime in Belarus. Russian economic support for president Lukashenko provided rapid winding up of democratic transformation in Belarus and preserved the administrative managing of the national economy. 
 For a long period, Belarus society had been stuck in the soviet style of political life. At the same time, such a style of the political system allowed Russia to keep Belarus in the sphere of its cultural and geopolitical influence. As a result, Belarus was hardly open to a constructive relations with the West, and regular political repressions kept the country isolated. 
 During the second period of Lukashenko's authoritarian rule, when the Russian policy got significantly more aggressive, the integration became destructive for Belarusian statehood. It is evident that Moscow has been trying to realize an idea to restore some kind of a new empire project, and uses different tools to achieve the goal. It might be said that integration is one of the mechanisms of a hybrid war which Russia wages against post-Soviet republics. Taking into consideration that Belarus has not developed full economic and political relations with the West, its economic and political system is widely dependent on Russia, which puts Belarus in a difficult, critical position.
 The continuation of the integration with Russia may result in the loss of Belarus' independence. Even though Lukashenko has been able to resist Kremlin’s insistence on the “deeper integration”, Belarus is still a part of the Union State, and stability of the political and economic system of the country depends on Russian support. No doubt, Moscow will continue its policy of wider control and subordination of Belarus.

DEVELOPMENT OF NEW TYPES OF CANNED FISH TAKING INTO ACCOUNT MARKET TRENDS

Тhe article presents the results of studying the world experience in the field of technology, assortment of canned mushroom products and the possibility of their adaptation for domestic producers. A brief description of the results of patent research, available copyright certificates and applications for inventions related to technology, methods of production of canned products from mushrooms or with their addition, the composition of products and packaging materials. In order to study the world experience in the field of technology and methods of production of canned mushrooms, a review of marketing research of the range of products with mushrooms presented in certain European countries, such as Sweden, Denmark, Norway, and some Eastern European countries was conducted. Consumer preferences of assortment groups of canned mushrooms in the post-Soviet republics and European countries and the main world trends in the production of dishes based on mushrooms are established. The research provided the basis for selecting components and manufacturing techniques for developing new types of mushroom products adapted to the changing preferences and demand of domestic and Russian consumers, taking into account the growing influence of global and European trends in nutrition.

Community of Independent States as an Organization of Regional Security

The article analyzes the activities of the Commonwealth of Independent States as an organization of regional security. Despite the fact that after the collapse of the Soviet Union about 30 years have passed, the ruling elites of the New Independent States continue to search for their own vectors of foreign and defense policy. The author believes that in the pursuit of the many attributes of independence, these elites still have not defined clear boundaries for themselves where they can sacrifice national sovereignty for the benefit of their own development, but in close cooperation with their neighbors. The CIS, as an umbrella association of the post-Soviet republics, continues to be a platform for dialogue between the leaders of the new generation, not connected by the Soviet past. Their foreign policy is dominated by pragmatism and multivectorness. Therefore, the absence of a rigid managerial dominance in the Commonwealth is for them the key to the success of this regional format. It seems that this means that, using the CIS as a convenient and non-binding stage for communication, the participating states will continue to search for themselves the most profitable areas of cooperation, even if through trial and error. In such a context, the main areas of cooperation will remain the fight against terrorism and organized crime, as well as the use of Russian experience in reflecting new challenges and threats.

Gender Studies in Azerbaijan in the Context of Epistemological Westernization

The article presents an attempt to outline the development of women's and gender studies in Azerbaijan in the context of the formation of interdisciplinarity in the social sciences and humanities and to identify their methodological significance for historical knowledge. It is especially noted that gender studies as a scientific direction were embedded in the general context of epistemological "Westernization". Gender studies in Azerbaijan practically begun in the second half of the 1990s. It should be admitted that, as in many other post-Soviet republics, the aforementioned studies, as well as the study of gender policy, gender education, did not arise spontaneously, being dictated by the internal needs of society and science, but were exported as an integral part of the “big political project”. It is noted that since 1990, the Department of Problems of Modern Philosophy of the Institute of Philosophy, Sociology and Law of the Academy of Sciences of Azerbaijan has been engaged in theoretical analysis and practical application of gender studies. The research interests of Azerbaijani scientists include the study of such issues as gender aspects of socio-economic development, gender quotas and stereotypes, gender factor in politics, features of state policy on women, empowerment of women, etc. Such unfavorable factors as the absence of the feminist movement as a social base for such investigations, the dominance of patriarchal attitudes and the embryonic state of feminist reaction, as well as the tendency of “modernization of patriarchal consciousness” and others are mentioned as adverse social reasons. At the end of the article, separate tasks are formulated that face the nascent gender history of Azerbaijan.

The U.S. Policy of Democracy Promotion in the Post-Soviet Space

After the collapse of the USSR, U.S. Administrations exploited the policy of «democracy promotion» to expand American influence in the post-Soviet space and to counterbalance Russia. In the light of the military campaign in Syria, the escalation around Iran, North Korea and Venezuela, the importance of the post-Soviet space for the US foreign policy has declined, U.S. aid to the region was cut. However, the Trump Administration maintains interest in keeping loyal elites in power to ensure the implementation of reforms and business projects, in particular, with a view to export U.S. military equipment and liquefied natural gas. The U.S. primary goal is to counteract Russian influence in the region, to prevent post-Soviet republics from building stronger ties with Moscow and reorient them towards the «collective West».

Modern trends of Kazakhstan’s internal state audit: the US and UK experience

The quality improvement of state audit system is vital and relevant for all post-Soviet republics and Kazakhstan particularly. On the whole, it is grounded on the old notions, and is not suitable for the contemporary economic situation and numerous private enterprises’ growth. The article aims to highlight the advantages of the audit systems in the USA and the UK for the contemporary state of the audit system in the Republic of Kazakhstan. In order to achieve the stated purpose theoretical bases, statistical data, legislative and regulatory official documents were analyzed. The analysis shows that the most perspective approaches to the internal audit system development are risk management and budget planning. The main problematic areas are the legal support, staff of auditing departments and services, the quality of revisions and competence of state auditors. It is substantiated that training and education for the auditors are highly demanded. The internal annual audit reports can be used as the effective instrument of the governmental control as well as the marker of the most undeveloped spheres.

Hibrid hadviselés: a befolyás megtartásának-megszerzésének új eszköze a posztszovjet térségben?

Oroszország 2014-es ukrajnai tevékenysége nyomán – melyen a Krím félsziget annektálása, majd pedig az Oroszországi Föderációba történő integrálása, illetve a kelet-ukrajnai szeparatizmus megszervezése és támogatása értendő – egyre gyakrabban jelentek meg a nemzetközi szakirodalomban olyan kijelentések, hogy Moszkva „hibrid háborút” folytat Ukrajnában. Jelen tanulmányban a szerzők egyrészt a hibrid hadviselés fogalmát vizsgálják, és azt a kérdést, hogy mennyiben hozott újat ez a fogalom, másrészt, hogy a posztszovjet térségben folytatott orosz tevékenység mennyiben irányul a szovjet utódállamok feletti befolyás megtartására, illetve megszerzésére. Mindezt két esettanulmány – Grúzia 2008 és Ukrajna 2014 – kapcsán tekinti át az írás.

Pompeo Visits Post-Soviet Republics

Pompeo Visits Post-Soviet Republics

Russian-Speaking Groups in Germany: Motivation for Migration

Introduction. The article considers motivation for migration of Russian-speaking groups who came to Germany from the territory of the former USSR countries. The article focuses on the analysis of ethnically privileged migrant groups – late migrants (Russian Germans) and quota refugees (Russian Jews) who came to Germany in the period of the late 1980s to mid-2000s. The aim of the research is to reveal the main reasons for and motives of the Russian-speaking group migration from the post-Soviet republics. The authors focus on the migration motives which have not been fully described, shown or analyzed in foreign research works, thus, enabling the readers to broaden their view on the migration of Russian-speaking groups to Germany. Methods. The research is based on qualitative methodology using the method of thematically-centered interview. The selection was done by the “snowball” method. Analysis. The authors carried out a comparative analysis of several research works with the results of the project conducted with Russian-speaking groups in Munich in 2005–2006 and 2011. The analyzed basis makes 43 interviews. The paper discusses the most questionable aspects regarding the ascertainment of the motivations of Russian Germans and Russian Jews for moving to Germany; it also compares the groups and reveals common features of migratory background characteristics to both of them. The paper gives special attention to ethnic motivations of migration which turn to be both pushing and pulling factors for both Russian-speaking groups. It also compares interpretations of significance of ethnicity and ethnic discrimination being the reasons for migration of Russian Germans and Russian Jews in the research works analyzed here. Results. The hypothesis is that after the USSR split ethnic discrimination of both groups may be considered on the basis of “wrong” ethnicity in the countries of exodus. The conclusion is drawn that discrimination on ethnic basis cannot be the main reason for migration of Russian Germans and Russian Jews to Germany. It is more probable that in the case of Russian-speaking groups we deal with “drifting” ethnicity which may be suggested to or imposed on individuals. The data presented in the article may be of great interest for improving the state policy of this country towards compatriots from abroad and working out migratory regulations.

Post-Soviet research in Turkey

This article is dedicated to peculiarities of studying post-Soviet space by think tanks of the Republic of Turkey. It is described how it is accepted in the works of Turkish authors to nominate the countries comprising the post-Soviet space, the subregions this geopolitical areal is divided into, as well as the most relevant Soviet problems explored by the Turkish scholars. For realization of the set goal, the authors firstly determined the circle of think tanks dealing with the problematic of post-Soviet space, and secondly examined the reports and publications provided by their experts in order to define a range of terms used in these works for designating the “post-Soviet space”. The scientific novelty consists in the fact that this article is first to analyzes the publications of the Turkish think tanks, namely for the purpose of determination and systematization of concepts that characterize the post-Soviet space. The research involves a significant volume of reports and publications in the Turkish and English languages for maximum coverage of the works dedicated to post-Soviet problematic. A tight connection is established between Turkey’s foreign policy priorities and problems viewed in reports of the think tanks. The acquired results allow to deeper understand the motives determining the vector of Turkey’s foreign policy in separate post-Soviet republics, as well as underline the divergence in views of the Turkish and Russian authors upon the problematic of post-Soviet space.

«РУССКИЙ МИР» – НЕОІМПЕРСЬКА ІДЕОЛОГЕМА СУЧАСНОЇ РОСІЇ

In the article the essence of the neo-imperial ideology of the «Russian world», is revealed, which appearance is connected with the necessity of the modern Russia`s expansionist policy in ideological substantiation after the collapse of the Bolshevik`s empire commune – the Soviet Union. Moreover, the basis for resuscitation and the creation of a new empire is still preserved. In the newly created states from the post-Soviet republics, the vast majority of former party leaders came to the power, who sought little or no effort to eliminate the old, in essence, authoritariantotalitarian system of political government, almost all of them sought to preserve the economic ties that were established in a single economic complex between the republics of the former Soviet Union. The Union of Independent States (CIS), established in December 1991, provided additional opportunities for the new neo-empire. Under such conditions, pro-Kremlin theorists-statesmen were actively involved in the development of ideological and theoretical foundations for the new ideology. However, the very name «Russian world» was introduced into scientific and political circulation only in 2005. Since then, the spatial boundaries of the ideology «Russian world» are constantly expanding and now include those countries and peoples «where the Russian language is heard». Thus, the main goal of the new ideology «Russian world» is to include in the Russian neo-empire not only Russia itself, but all of Russia abroad, ie «almost a third - a billion Russian-speaking people or almost every twentieth inhabitant of the Earth» (O. Batanova). Thus, according to the great powers, it will be possible to correct the geopolitical mistake associated with the collapse of the Soviet Union. It has been proved that the neo-imperial ideology of the «Russian world» is based on Russian ultranationalism, which is permeated by the ideas of pan-Russianism, Russian exclusivity, and strong statehood, which Putin now embodies. This feature of the ideology of the «Russian world» indicates its neo-imperial orientation and geopolitical intentions of the great-power policy of modern Russia.

Russian language as a means of cross-border education development

The article deals with the issue of reducing the importance of the Russian language in the world. Culture is the total social experience of humanity, and language is a means of accumulating, storing, and transmitting this social experience, scientific and everyday information. It is a means of objectifying human consciousness, the continuity of generations, and their historical experience. Until 1991, Russian was the universal means of interethnic communication on one-sixth of the land. The refusal to learn the Russian language in some post-Soviet republics has led to a decline and even to a drop in the level of education and culture in general. The research aims to analyze the Russian language position as the core of culture and education in the post-Soviet space as a means of cross-border cooperation, development of education, and dialogue of cultures. The study has been conducted for 10 years in the South-East of Ukraine. It seems to us that the language situation in the Donbas can be projected with some degree of similarity to the entire post-Soviet space. To determine the principle of the state language policy of the post-Soviet republics, we used the analysis of Ukraine’s legal documents in the period from 1991 to 2020. The presence of a common cultural space and language will help preserve peace and prevent war on the Eurasian continent. The common language space contributes to the development of economic, social, educational, and as a result of geopolitical ties.

Invisible Presence of the Past: Hauntology of Photography

Photography has been associated with the specter, spirit, and the apparition ever since the theory of photography first emerged. André Bazin and Edgar Morin saw the spectral features of photography as the basis for phenomenological interpretation. However, the most creative exposition of ghosts in photography is linked to Jacques Derrida’s concept of hauntology. Nowadays, hauntology is often cited in relation to nostalgia – longing for “the lost futures”. However, when Derrida wrote Specters of Marx in 1993, he was interested in the ontological repetition of ideas through history. Photographs created by two contemporary Polish photographers (Michał Grochowiak and Nicolas Grospierre) are an excellent illustration of the French philosopher’s thoughts, as their works focus on the same theme – architecture of the socialist era. The recurring specter of the past manifests itself through it. Grochowiak’s photographs from the Breath series (2010) depict the interior of the Palace of Culture and Science in Warsaw – fragments of a monumental memorial from the socialist era. In turn, Grospierre’s series of photographs titled K-Pool and company (2011) documents modernist buildings in the post-Soviet republics. In the article, the reference to hauntology allows me to discuss photography as a carrier of eeriness as well as an invisible tool of disclosure. What’s more, it seems that hauntology may explain the role of photography in discussing the political and social contexts of the past. Keywords: hauntology, photography, modernist architecture, Central Europe, Jacques Derrida

Loan agreement in EAEU member states (comparative legal analysis) (The end)

The article justifies the judgment, that the bank system as a priority area has expanded the scope of services such as loan agreements for production and investment purposes of enterprises, organizations and government bodies, as well as consumer loans to individuals. The role of commercial banks as regulators of financial and credit relations between legal entities and individuals in various fields of the economy, affecting the growth and improvement of the welfare of citizens, including through consumer loans, has increased. Loan agreements in Russia, Kazakhstan, Armenia, Belarus and Kyrgyzstan over the past five years have reached a new level of fulfilment of credit relations in connection with implementation of the Treaty on the Eurasian Economic Union. Citizens of the EAEU member states start to conclude more often loan agreements to ensure economic and entrepreneurial activity, as well as consumer loans for the purchase of necessary goods and services. These and other fundamental changes in the economy required strengthening the role of credit relations’ legal regulation. There is a necessity in the EAEU member states for a coordinated settlement of this field of legal relations, as well as making amendments and addendums to the legislative acts regulating the activities of the banking system, financial and credit organizations. Particular attention was required to regulate economic relations related to the protection of property rights and interests of individuals. The Court of the Eurasian Economic Union, created within the framework of the EAEU, has become an important legal mechanism for ensuring uniform conditions for the stable development of economies and raising the living standards of the population of the member states of the Treaty. These qualitative changes in the credit system of the post-Soviet republics, as well as legislative innovations designated to regulate lending, have become an objective prerequisite for a comprehensive study. From this perspective, a comparative legal analysis of the legal regulation of credit relations in the EAEU member states seems to be a very timely and important task. The purpose of this research is to study the state of legal regulation of credit relations in the Russian Federation, the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Republic of Armenia, the Republic of Belarus, and the Kyrgyz Republic, to show the dynamics of the development of the banking sector of the economy of mentioned states in the new market conditions, their use of experience gained, including the experience of foreign states. From this perspective, the author analyses and compares a set of organizational and practical measures to ensure the legitimate interests of participants in the credit relations of states, as well as in general within the framework of the Eurasian Economic Union. As a result of this research a number of practical measures have been proposed in order to improve legislation in the EAEU member states and the judicial practice of proceedings on loan agreement cases.

Assessment of the antiviral activity of 2HCl*H-His-Rim compound compared to the anti-influenza drug Arbidol for influenza caused by A/duck/Novosibirsk/56/05 (H5N1) (Influenza A virus, Alphainfluenzavirus, Orthomyxoviridae).

The emergence of influenza virus strains with drug resistance to antiviral drugs requires finding new compounds, potential direct-acting inhibitors. Аdamantane compounds drugs used since the 1960s have lost their activity the resulting due to resistance. Only neuraminidase inhibitors such as zanamivir and oseltamivir have been approved by WHO for influenza treatment. The Russian pharmaceutical drug Arbidol (Umifenovirum) is actively used in Russia. This drug is used to treat influenza in Russia, China and most post-Soviet republics. This work presents a new derivative of aminoadamantane - dichlorohydrate L-histidyl-1-adamantayl ethylamine (2HCl*H-His-Rim), which showed a high level of inhibition of strains of influenza virus A in vitro. Comparison of antiviral properties of the new synthetic low-molecular inhibitor of influenza A virus replication and Arbidol drug pharmacy. The compound 2HCl*H-His-Rim was obtained by classical peptide synthesis methods. It was identified by methods of mass spectrometry, infrared spectroscopy (IR) and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR). Its antiviral properties have been studied in vitro for monolayer of cells Vero-E6 infected with a high-virulent strain of A/duck/Novosibirsk/56/06 (H5N1) influenza virus at various injection schemes of the investigated compounds. The antiviral activity of the 2HCl*H-His-Rim compound against the highly pathogenic strain of the influenza A/H5N1 virus was slightly higher than for the known pharmacy drug arbidol. The difference in antiviral activity of these two compounds is explained by different mechanisms of action on the viral particle. The 2HCl*H-His-Rim compound can be recommended as a candidate for preclinical and clinical trials in order to obtain an etiotropic antiviral drug based on it, due to its high efficacy and economic and synthetic availability. The synthetic compound 2HCl*H-His-Rim acts on influenza A virus variants resistant to Rimantadine and Amantadine.

Russian foreign policy: From ‘new thinking’ to multidirectional strategy

This article is devoted to the description and analysis of the Russian foreign policy as it has evolved from a more pro-Western line after 1991-1992 to a more balanced and nationalistic version by the mid-1990s. In addition, as a part of this article certain projections are made for the future of Russian relations with the West. The author argues that in many ways the foreign policy of the new Russia during the early 1990s was continuation of the Gorbachev’s ‘new thinking.’ Gorbachev had hoped to put the Soviet Union on the path of partnership with the Western alliance through clearing away the military and political baggage of Stalinism-Brezhnevism. This strategy enjoyed full support of the pro-western democratic movement headed by Yeltsin. The Russian democrats saw Western nations as their chief ideological and political allies, and a possible source of economic aid and a model for Russia’s economic development. However, over time, a number of internal and external factors started to influence the original Yeltsin’s strategy. Internally, the failure of ‘shock therapy’ led to the weakening of democrats and strengthening of the communists and nationalists. Furthermore, Yeltsin’s foreign policy became the target of intense criticism. Moreover, as a result of the internal and external influences and specifically the national debates, Russia’s foreign policy was gradually modified. Russia again puts an emphasis on security, and on the strength of its armed forces, and forging strategic partnerships in various parts of the world. In addition, nationalism would be expressed through the protection of the Russian diaspora, the glorification of Russia’s imperial past, and the scaling down the policy of repentance for the misdeeds of the Communist regime. Russia’s great power ambitions could be observed through Russia’s attempt to play pivotal role throughout the former Soviet Union, and a desire to show the Russian flag across the world. Moreover, ideology does not influence Kremlin’s relations with other states anymore, instead economic interests encourage Moscow to restore cooperation with many Third World nations. It can be expected that Russia will continue to compete for predominance with the West in the post-soviet republics and in the field of security and at the same time Russia will promote its partnership with China and other non-Western actors. However, despite these shifts, a multidirectional strategy will likely be preserved.

Нове значення середнього класу в умовах трансформації економіки і міграції трудових ресурсів (соціолого-політологічний аналіз)

In the 21st century, especially after the global crisis of 2007-2009, the emphasis is shifting to the problem of the need to form a new middle class, especially in the post-Soviet space, and not only since this problem has become relevant in the last decade even in the EU. Therefore, the subject of research is the state of development of the middle class problem, its new value and role in the consolidation of society (on the example of Ukraine, Kazakhstan and other countries).The relevance and scientific novelty of the problem of the new middle class lies in the fact that this phenomenon to date, with some exceptions, in its new quality in Ukraine, Kazakhstan and other post-Soviet countries as an object and subject is not researched enough, and therefore has no modern sufficient theoretical explanation both in terms of its role in individual countries and in the scale of the global world integration process.This is due to the fact that much of the post-Soviet researchers have come from a rather contradictory position that, in the context of globalization, the middle class of the Western sample will be formed with the peculiarities for each country, and the historical and socio-cultural characteristics will eventually be smoothed out. In fact, the post-Soviet republics inherited a layer of intellectuals, a working class and a peasantry, but the social structure of society very quickly by historical standards acquired a certain state of uncertainty at first, and then did not withstand the test of new time and got a new social borders and national features for each republic. However, the importance of the phenomenon of the middle class did not diminish, but rather, more clearly defined and increased to the level of the guarantor of stability of every society.The article attempts to prove that any society is able to maintain stability and even to ensure its development for a certain period of time: in one case by the efforts of rigid authoritarianism, as in Iraq and Libya in the times of Gaddafi and Hussein, in the other - by manipulations of the public consciousness, and in the third, more or less, depending on the specifics of the government and the stability of political power. But this is a temporary phenomenon, and any government, sooner or later, failing to ensure the formation and development of its national middle class, is unable to create the conditions for stability and development of the society for the long term and without inter-ethnic, social, inter-religious and other cataclysms ensure continuity and conflict-free transfer of political power. Subversion of concepts, inventing various social substitutes for the role of the middle class, based on social, cultural, national, religious, and even party formations, are only able to stretch the problem in time, to drive it deep, but not to ensure strong socio-economic stability and continuity in their society for a long time.

Impact of remittances on economic growth and poverty reduction amongst CIS countries

ABSTRACT The main goal of this paper is to assess the effect of remittances on economic growth and poverty reduction amongst the post-Soviet states, compared with other external sources of capital, such as foreign aid and foreign direct investment. In this paper we use a panel data set on economic growth and poverty estimates (poverty headcount, poverty gap and poverty severity) in 10 selected former post-Soviet republics i.e. Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). We found that, on average, a 1% increase in remittance flows provokes around a 0.25% rise in per capita GDP and a 2% decline in poverty severity. Remittances seem to have produced a significant reduction on poverty through increasing income and smoothing consumption levels.

Audit of Financial, Social and Logistic Concerns of Overseas Cancer Patients Treated at Tertiary Care Centers in New Delhi

India has emerged as one of the leading medical tourism destination in the recent times. Patients come from sub-Saharan countries, pacific island nations, west Asia, and post-Soviet republics (CIS) .We analyzed the issues and concerns of overseas cancer patients who come to New Delhi for their cancer treatment. 2833 overseas patients from 42 countries were treated in two different institutions between September 2013 and February 2019. Out of these, 743 patients were interviewed as per the NCCN distress thermometer for their financial, social (food, language, and culture) and treatment related difficulties. These included countries with low income (per-capita gross national income <$995), countries with upper-middle income (<$12055) and 6 countries from high income group (World Bank 2018). Patients treated with curative intent constituted 43%, while the rest were considered for palliative treatment. Patients who expressed minimal or no financial burden were 13.5%; they were either sponsored by an organization/the government or wealthy enough to afford treatment. Nearly 35% of the patients had sold their land/house property; rest 51.4% patients received returnable/non-returnable financial help from friends and (or) relatives. In case patient happened to be the primary earning member of the family, the expected time to recover from the net financial loss due to disease was ≥6 years; in other instances, it was 3-4 years. When interviewed, median number of visits to New Delhi was 2 (range 1-6). Nearly 93% patients reported issues with language and food. 17% patients came alone, mainly to reduce financial burden; other reasons for travelling alone were proficiency in English, not having anyone else to travel with and not wanting to disclose their health status to others. The remaining 83% patients were accompanied by 1 to 5 persons (median = 1). Inflation adjusted mean medical expense was 10098±9497 $ (range 2684-38538 $). If high cost treatments (>14000 $) like bone marrow transplant were ignored, mean expense came down to 5884±3067 $ (range $ 2684-9700). Average travel expense for 2 persons was 2035±1567$ (range $ 597-4507), and accommodation and average food expense for 1 month was about 2600 $. Almost all (≈96%) patients were unsatisfied with the medical practice, available instruments or high cost in their home country; only a few (3-4%) chose overseas treatment to avoid social stigma. Our study sheds light on the issues related to patients coming for treatment to New Delhi from an overseas destination. This study further provides critical inputs related to expenses borne by these patients and the other logistical issues faced by them.

Composition and Functions of Tools in Banking Supervision in Post-Soviet Republics (Russia and Tajikistan)

The article studies the most widely used tools of banking supervision, such as macro-economic control, distributive and structural control, finance sanitation. Among regulation tools of central banks a special role is attributed to normative and legal acts, methodological and preventive tools. The authors propose to divide all tools of banking supervision into two big categories: control and supervision (key ones) and tools of regulation (extra ones). One of the most important analytical tools meant to provide estimation of potential losses of credit organizations in case of economic recessions is macro-prudential stress-testing. It was grounded that tools of banking supervision and regulation cannot always allow us to reach a goal set by central banks of post-soviet countries, i.e. to lower the inflation rate. Cut in Inflation rate should not be the main goal of regulators. During the transition period in economy central banks should resolve wider range of tasks and use tools of banking supervision and regulation.