Ivan Ermokhin, Researcher at the Gaidar Institute’s International Best Practices Analysis Department, spoke to Nezavisimaya Gazeta about the factors currently holding back innovation in small and medium-sized businesses in Russia.
Comments
Ivan Ermokhin: High interest rates on loans are holding back innovation in small and medium-sized businesses
03 august 2026
Olga Ponomareva: Chinese imports are holding back price growth for non-food goods
03 august 2026
Supplies of Chinese products are having a dampening effect on price growth in certain segments of the Russian market. However, it would be incorrect to say that Chinese imports alone determine inflation dynamics: the ruble exchange rate, logistics costs, fuel prices, business expenses, and the cost of borrowing continue to play a much more significant role. Olga Ponomareva, an expert at the Economic Policy Fund of the Gaidar Institute, spoke about this to RBC.
Antonina Levashenko Explained How the Digital Ruble Will Work
30 july 2026
Antonina Levashenko, Head of the Gaidar Institute’s International Best Practices Analysis Department told News.ru what the digital ruble is, how it differs from non-cash money and cryptocurrency, and how it will be phased in across Russia.
Kirill Chernovol: The growth in the number of data centers will require the development of energy infrastructure
30 july 2026
Kirill Chernovol, Researcher at the Gaidar Institute’s International Best Practices Analysis Department, explained in a commentary for Nezavisimaya Gazeta how the development of artificial intelligence and data centers could affect Russia’s power grid and what challenges may arise in the coming years.
Evgeny Goryunov explained how rising fuel prices affect inflation
30 july 2026
Evgeny Goryunov, Head of the Monetary Policy Department at the Gaidar Institute, in a commentary for Nezavisimaya Gazeta, explained why rising motor fuel prices have a greater impact on inflation than it might seem at first glance, and what will determine future price trends.
Gasoline imports from India have become a temporary solution for the Russian market — Anastasia Levchenko
27 july 2026
Russia has begun importing gasoline from India — a situation that, just a few years ago, seemed virtually impossible for one of the world’s largest producers of petroleum products. Anastasia Levchenko, Researcher at the Gaidar Institute’s Industrial Organization and Infrastructure Economics Department, explained in a comment for RTVI why this happened and whether it signals long-term changes in the market.
Alexander Firanchuk: The impact of demographics on the labor market will depend on the development of artificial intelligence
27 july 2026
A decline in the working-age population will not necessarily lead to labor shortages and rapid wage growth. Technology above all, artificial intelligence will increasingly shape how the labor market changes in the coming decades. Alexander Firanchuk, Senior Researcher at the International Trade Department of the Gaidar Institute, discussed this in a commentary for RBC.
Evgeny Goryunov: The Bank of Russia Will Continue to Cautiously Lower the Key Rate
27 july 2026
Evgeny Goryunov, Head of the Monetary Policy Department at the Gaidar Institute, in a comment for News.ru, assessed the Bank of Russia’s decision to lower the key rate to 14% and discussed what to expect from monetary policy through the end of the year.
Antonina Levashenko: Gold has become the metal with the highest price rise over the past 25 years
24 july 2026
Antonina Levashenko, Head of the International Best Practices Analysis Department at the Gaidar Institute, told RIA Novosti how global prices for major metals have changed since the beginning of the 21st century and why gold has emerged as the clear leader in terms of price growth.
Kirill Chernovol: The growth of marketplaces helps curb price increases
24 july 2026
Kirill Chernovol, Researcher at the Gaidar Institute’s International Best Practices Analysis Department, explained in a comment for Nezavisimaya Gazeta how the growth of marketplaces affects inflation and why online commerce intensifies competition in the consumer market.
Anastasia Levchenko on dynamic pricing in the air travel market
23 july 2026
Anastasia Levchenko, Researcher of the Industrial Organization and Infrastructure Economics Department, presented findings of econometric modeling conducted by the Gaidar Institute based on 34.4 mn observations from February through November 2025.
Dmitry Evdokimov presented analysis of the impact of institutions on economic development
23 july 2026
Dmitry Evdokimov, Researcher at the Gaidar Institute’s Quantitative Analysis of Economic Effects Department, presented analysis of the impact of institutions on economic development.
Alexey Zamnius analyzed how real wages have changed by sector
22 july 2026
An analysis of the dynamics of real wages by economic sector during 2021–2024 reveals key trends shaped by structural shifts triggered by the start of the special military operation. Alexey Zamnius, Researcher of the Mathematical Modeling of Economic Processes Department at the Gaidar Institute, used data from the Russian Longitudinal Monitoring Survey (RLMS-HSE) to identify a marked differentiation across industries in terms of wage growth rates.
Alexey Zamnius: “The Labor Shortage Is Changing the Labor Market and Narrowing the Wage Gap”
20 july 2026
Alexey Zamnius, Researcher of the Mathematical Modeling of Economic Processes Department at the Gaidar Institute, explained to RBC the reasons behind the rise in starting salaries for young professionals and the impact of the labor shortage on the Russian economy.
Evgeny Goryunov: “Businesses in Russia need more predictable environment for planning”
15 july 2026
Evgeny Goryunov, Head of the Monetary Policy Department at the Gaidar Institute, explained in a commentary for Nezavisimaya Gazeta the reasons behind the slowdown in industrial growth and the impact of high key interest rates on business investment activity.
Sergey Drobyshevsky on where to find the real drivers of economic growth
14 july 2026
Sergey Drobyshevsky, Principal Researcher at the Gaidar Institute, shared his views on the complex relationship between the cost of credit, the key rate, and long-term economic growth. In the commentary, he explains why a direct comparison of current high deposit rates with the returns on long-term investment projects is inaccurate, and points to the true, fundamental drivers of economic growth: productivity growth, healthy competition, and business initiative.