ExplainerTrade & Sanctions
Russia and China: trade, energy and payments explained
China is an important buyer and supplier for Russia, but trade totals, energy routes and settlement currencies reveal different kinds of dependence.
History and reference
Russia economy archive and historical analysis Page 2
ExplainerTrade & Sanctions
How sanctions have affected Russia's economy
Sanctions restrict particular financial, trade and technology channels; judging their effects requires separating legal measures, adaptation costs and uncertain counterfactuals.
ExplainerRuble
Russia's inflation history: from the 1990s to 2026
Russia's price history includes market transition, currency crises and renewed inflation, but comparing those episodes requires the same index and the right endpoints.
ExplainerBudget
Russia's federal budget explained: revenue, spending and deficits
Read the federal budget by separating tax receipts, spending commitments, financing and the assumptions behind each three-year plan.
ExplainerEnergy
Oil and gas in Russia's economy: revenue, exports and dependence
Russia's energy earnings depend on the price actually received, the route to the buyer and the tax system, not simply on the number of barrels exported.
ExplainerRuble
How the Bank of Russia sets its key rate and why it matters
The key rate influences credit, deposits and demand, but its effect on inflation depends on expectations, fiscal policy and the economy's ability to supply goods.
ExplainerRuble
The Russian ruble explained: what sets its value and moves it
The ruble floats, but interest rates, export receipts, restrictions and payment channels influence both its official value and the rate customers receive.
ExplainerEconomy
How Russia's economy works: resources, the state and the ruble
Russia's economy combines commodity exports, a large domestic service sector and an influential state; the links between them matter more than any single headline.