Russia is far from the top place in the world among industrial countries in production and consumption of polymers and other types of chemical products. Why is chemistry in our country unable to develop as fast as, for example, in China? We are moving forward at a rate that is hardly more than...

<i>This article by the editor in chief of EKO appeared as an introduction to the next twelve articles published in this issue of</i> Problems of Economic Transition.

<i>The articles mentioned in this introduction by the editor of</i> EKO, <i>the All-Russian Economics Journal based in Novosibirsk, are published in this and the following issue of</i> Problems of Economic Transition.