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led to a dramatic decline in living standards, as well as a diminution of Moscow’s status on the world stage. Behind Gorbachev on the “most hated” rankings, with 11%, came three Soviet heavyweights who tied for second place: Stalin, his brutal and murderous secret police chief Lavrentiy Beria, and Stalin’s successor Nikita Khrushchev.
3.0 Macro Economy 3.1 Macroeconomic overview
The Russian economy has returned to steady growth, and the budget is balanced, Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said on Wednesday at a government meeting. “Thanks to the support of our people and businesses implemented by the government under the presidential orders, the Russian economy has returned to a steady growth. Financial discipline has also improved ... The balanced state of the budget was ensured. All social obligations to the people are being fulfilled,” he said. Still, it is important for the government to continue to improve efficiency of budget spending and federal programs, he said. The government plans to allocate additional RUB14bn to payments to single parents. The government previously introduced a monthly
22 RUSSIA Country Report January 2022 www.intellinews.com