In this paper we survey the common explanations of barter in transition economies and expose them to detailed survey data on 165 barter deals in Ukraine in 1997. The evidence does not support the notion that soft budget constraints, lack of restructuring, or that the virtual economy are the...

Inter-household transfers in Russia, Ukraine, and Latvia to provide an important supplement to individual incomes. These transfers are as high as in many developing countries. Transfers are from richer to poorer, from older to younger, and to femaleheaded households. We find no evidence that...