History of concession agreements development in Russia

The history of concession agreements in Russia spans more than a century, from the late 19th century to the present day. Initially, concessions played a key role in attracting foreign investment and developing infrastructure in the Russian Empire. During the Soviet period, the role of concessions changed significantly, becoming an instrument of state control and planning, and in the post-Soviet period, concession agreements took on new significance in the context of market reforms and economic modernization. The current stage of concession development is associated with the active use of public-private partnership mechanisms to implement large infrastructure projects. Comprehensive methods of analysis and synthesis of historical and economic data were used. The historical method was applied to study concession agreements evolution at various stages of Russia’s development from the pre-revolutionary period, through the Soviet era, and to the present day. The comparative analysis method made it possible to compare concessions development in the country with international experience and identify the specific features of the Russian approach. The main stages and features of concession agreements development have been considered, as well as current trends and prospects for concessions application in various sectors of the Russian economy.

1. Krasnov A.B. Legal Regulation of Concession Agreements in Russia (Historical and Legal Study). Abstr. … Cand. Sci. (Jur.): 00.00.00. Moscow; 2024. 34 p. (In Russian).

2. Tarasova V.N., Trinkova O.N. Rail Rolling Development in Russia. World of Transport. 2012;5(10):144–155. (In Russian).

3. Yakupov A.K. Historical aspects of emergence and development of concession agreements in Russia. Polytekhnicheskiy molodezhnyi zhurnal. 2017;6(11). (In Russian).

4. Vasiliev A.A., Malkov I.G., Chirkov V.I. History of the urban housing and utilities system in pre-revolutionary Russia. Water supply, sewerage, sanitation. Urban transport, street lighting. 2014. 180 p. (In Russian).

5. Yudina T.V. Sources on the socio-economic situation of Soviet concession workers in the 1920s. Otechestvennye arkhivy. 2011;5:54–63. (In Russian).

6. Varnavsky V.G. Concessions in the service of Russia. Russian Entrepreneurship. 2002;11:22–27. (In Russian).

7. Macheret D.A., Chernyshev A.A. The long-term impact of the construction and modernization of Russian railways on the country’s economic development. Railway Economics. 2014;4:33–44. (In Russian).

8. Eremin A.A. History of formation and development of commercial concession agreements legal regulation in Russia. History of the State and Law. 2015;2:13–17. (In Russian).

9. Kurbatov A.M. Key elements of a concession agreement financial mechanism. Bulletin of the Academy of Knowledge. 2023;1(54):324–329. (In Russian).

10. Hannanova T.R., Garifullina A.F. Issues of assessing the effectiveness of public-private partnership mechanisms. Economics and Management. 2019;1:26–30. (In Russian).

11. Borisyuk D.A., Astafieva O.E. Situational model of financial support for construction in the framework of project implementation in the Russian Federation. Upravlenie / Management (Russia). 2022;1(10):54–65. (In Russian). https://doi.org/10.26425/2309-3633-2022-10-1-54-65

12. Seregina A.A. Strategic target management in the energy sector. Upravlenie / Management (Russia). 2024;4(12):5–12. (In Russian). https://doi.org/10.26425/2309-3633-2024-12-4-5-12