1. The Collapse of the Soviet Union
The dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 shattered decades of rigid, centralized control over the Russian economy. State assets—once managed by bureaucrats—were suddenly left unguarded in a power vacuum, with rules and authority in flux. This period of confusion and upheaval offered extraordinary opportunity for those willing to take risks and bend the rules. Ambitious entrepreneurs and streetwise masterminds rushed to claim industries, real estate, and resources in the absence of clear oversight, setting the stage for a new economic order (via BBC).
