TERRA ECONOMICUS, Vol. 24, No 2

p. 6-24
DOI: 10.18522/2073-6606-2026-24-2-6-24

Citation: Balatsky E.V. (2026). Reforming economic knowledge: Basic principles. Terra Economicus 24(2), 6–24 (in Russian). DOI: 10.18522/2073-6606-2026-24-2-6-24

Acknowledgment: The article was prepared withing the state assignment of the Government of the Russian Federation to the Financial University for 2026 on the topic “A new paradigm of modern economic theory in the context of a changing global world order”.Acknowledgement: The author expresses his sincere gratitude to Sergey Tolkachev for useful comments on the manuscript of the article.

The article discusses the urgent need to reform modern economic knowledge. To specify the accumulated contradictions within the discipline, seven dogmas (persistent erroneous norms) are examined. The first three are ontological in nature and are associated with researchers’ incorrect perceptions of the social world: one-sided evaluation of phenomena; a binary system of institutions and solutions; and ignoring the factor of the state’s political sovereignty. The other four dogmas belong to the methodological category and involve erroneous instrumental imperatives in research and managerial decision-making: maintaining linear logic regarding nonlinear phenomena; claims to the universality of economic models; the complexity of economic constructs detached from real-world processes; and the autonomy of events and factors in constructing economic theories. To overcome these dogmas, six alternative principles are proposed as new norms for economic knowledge: the unity of dialectical essences and the elimination of evaluative unambiguity; a shift from pure strategies to mixed strategies; the unity of political sovereignty and economic efficiency; a transition to a parabolic form of economic dependencies; rejection of the universality of economic outcomes and the search for contexts; bridging the gap between economic theory and management practice; and event-factor synthesis. The article notes that the proposed innovations are open to debate, but concludes that such discussions, followed by a thorough inventory of contemporary economic science, will help overcome the methodological deadlock in which it currently finds itself.

TERRA ECONOMICUS, Vol. 24, No 2

p. 25-40
DOI: 10.18522/2073-6606-2026-24-2-25-40

Citation: Tishkin A. (2026). Fragmentation of economic knowledge: The role of narrative and sociological approaches for intradisciplinary dialogue. Terra Economicus 24(2), 25–40 (in Russian). DOI: 10.18522/2073-6606-2026-24-2-25-40

The article examines a pressing issue in economics: the fragmentation of scientific knowledge. We chose Uskali Mäki’s framework for exploring this issue, distinguishing between pluralism and plurality. Two consequences of either too much or too little plurality are specialization and fragmentation. The latter can potentially harm intradisciplinary dialogue, as a common language for communication is lost, significantly blurring the criteria by which scholars distinguish good from bad research. Several strategies are proposed for overcoming fragmentation, ranging from creating a metalanguage to establishing a new discipline. We believe these approaches can be complemented by tools that allow for a quantitative and qualitative assessment of the potential for dialogue among economic theorists. Primarily, this is a narrative (postmodernist) approach. Knowledge of high-quality narratives can be useful for scholars seeking success and convincing colleagues of their vision. Narratives can also potentially reduce the “burden of knowledge”, the barrier to entry into competing schools of thought. Sociological methods for studying communities can demonstrate scientists’ attitudes toward various types of plurality and reveal the theories authors employ in their articles. Such methods are also important for defining mainstream in economics. Sociological and narrative approaches have several significant shortcomings. Narratives can oversimplify scientific knowledge, while sociological approaches, at a minimum, require careful application. However, we believe both approaches have significant potential for fostering intradisciplinary dialogue.

TERRA ECONOMICUS, Vol. 24, No 2

p. 41-56
DOI: 10.18522/2073-6606-2026-24-2-41-56

Citation: Borokh O.N. (2026). Soviet textbook and political economy in the PRC in the second half of the 1950s: From propaganda to critique. Terra Economicus 24(2), 41–56 (in Russian). DOI: 10.18522/2073-6606-2026-24-2-41-56

Soviet political economy profoundly impacted the study of this discipline in China in the 1950s. “Textbook on Political Economy” prepared by the USSR Academy of Sciences (1954) contributed significantly to broad dissemination of Soviet theoretical approaches in China. Drawing on Chinese-language sources and materials, the article reconstructs the evolution of the textbook’s reception in China from the enthusiastic assessments of the mid-1950s to its critical rethinking at the end of the decade. The ability of Chinese Marxists to evaluate objectively the originality of the textbook was based on the experience of studying Soviet political economy since the 1930s. The article investigates the approaches of Chinese scholars to the content of the third edition of the textbook in the context of transformations of Soviet interpretations of socialism. I demonstrate that the discussion on the textbook organized by Mao Zedong in 1959 was aimed at outlining the limitations of the applicability of the Soviet model to solving China’s problems and at justifying the need to develop domestic theoretical concepts. The conclusion is that the topic of the perception of Soviet political economy in the mid20th century became relevant in the PRC against the backdrop of official demands to build social sciences with Chinese characteristics. The postulates and schemes of the 1954 textbook cannot be ignored when developing the political economy of Chinese socialism. The problem has expanded beyond the study of the history of Marxist economic thought and has become part of theoretical explorations in contemporary China.

TERRA ECONOMICUS, Vol. 24, No 2

p. 57-74
DOI: 10.18522/2073-6606-2026-24-2-57-74

Citation: Karavay A.V. (2026). Personal resource as a factor of social stratification of economically active Russians: Operationalization and measurement. Terra Economicus 24(2), 57–74 (in Russian). DOI: 10.18522/2073-6606-2026-24-2-57-74

This article examines how the concept of personal resource is embedded within the resource-based approach to social stratification. It is conceptualized as an individual’s incorporated potential, indirectly linked to their habitus and capable of being converted into stable social and economic positions. On this theoretical basis, an operationalization of personal resource is proposed through a composite Index comprising three components: attitudes towards control over one’s own life (planning horizon, belief in the efficacy of one’s efforts, and distancing from fatalism), social optimism (generalized trust and a positive image of others), and behavioral manifestations of agency (social participation and actions aimed at improving one’s material circumstances). Drawing on data from the IS FCTAS RAS Monitoring Survey (2025, economically active population, N = 1,524), three groups of Russians with differing levels of personal resource are identified. The findings demonstrate that workers with different levels of personal resource differ primarily in employment security rather than labor intensity: higher Index values are associated with more stable forms of employment, the presence of basic labor guarantees, and higher satisfaction with one’s material situation and life overall. These differences persist within occupational and educational groups, indicating the independent contribution of personal resource to the formation of life chances. Furthermore, among individuals from low-resource family backgrounds, a high level of personal resource is associated with a substantially greater likelihood of upward social mobility, suggesting its compensatory role under conditions of structural constraints, likely operating through mechanisms of behavioral activation, hiring selectivity, and psychological resilience to external shocks. The results substantiate the significance of personal resource in the stratification processes of Russian society alongside other incorporated resources.

TERRA ECONOMICUS, Vol. 24, No 2

p. 75-87
DOI: 10.18522/2073-6606-2026-24-2-75-87

Citation: Nenasheva M.V. (2026). Food security of the rural population in Russian Arctic (The case of the Arkhangelsk Region). Terra Economicus 24(2), 75–87 (in Russian). DOI: 10.18522/2073-66062026-24-2-75-87

Acknowledgment: The work was supported by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation within the framework of the state assignment No. FSRU-2023-004.

The article discusses the problem of food security for the rural population of the Russian Arctic. The relevance of the research is determined by Russia’s strategic objectives for the development of the Arctic Region. I show that the concept of food security is controversial in scientific discourse. Usually, it refers to economic and physical accessibility of food to the population. In the Russian Arctic, ensuring the food security is complicated by geographical, climatic, and economic factors. This study provides an assessment of the economic and physical accessibility of food for the rural population in four Arctic municipalities of the Arkhangelsk Region. Empirical evidence is provided by statistical data (including data on well-being of the rural population and the development of agriculture and commodity infrastructure) and sociological survey conducted by the author. The sample covered 404 residents of rural settlements in the Arctic districts of the Arkhangelsk Region. The results show a decrease in agricultural production, retail and catering facilities and household incomes, which affects economic availability and physical accessibility of food. Measures are proposed to improve food security through the development of a mixed economy, the creation of a system of commodity infrastructure, transport and logistics centers for the import and sale of food from other northern territories of the Arkhangelsk Region. The findings of the study can be used to improve state and regional programs for ensuring food security in the Arctic regions of Russia.

TERRA ECONOMICUS, Vol. 24, No 2

p. 88-100
DOI: 10.18522/2073-6606-2026-24-2-88-100

Citation: Klachkova O., Tikhturova A. (2026). The social cost of inflation: Intergroup inflation burden and inequality in Russia. Terra Economicus 24(2), 88–100 (in Russian). DOI: 10.18522/2073-66062026-24-2-88-100

This paper examines the heterogeneity of the inflation burden across households with different income levels in Russia over 2010–2022. In a context of heightened inflation volatility and tighter monetary policy, the question of who ultimately bears the costs of rising prices becomes especially important. Using the expenditure structure of income deciles, we construct an intergroup consumer price index to measure differences in “personal inflation” and assessing their impact on real-income dynamics. The results show that low-income households systematically face higher inflation than better-off groups, and this gap widens during crisis periods. As a consequence, using the aggregate consumer price index to deflate incomes leads to an understatement of economic inequality. Average inflation measures can therefore obscure the true dynamics of purchasing power, while the social cost of inflation remains underestimated. The results show that accounting for between-group inflation differentials is a necessary condition for an accurate assessment of real incomes and for designing targeted redistribution policies. A limitation of the paper is its reliance on broad consumption categories (food commodities, non-food commodities, and services) without capturing within-category variation in prices and product quality, which points to promising directions for future research using micro-level data.

TERRA ECONOMICUS, Vol. 24, No 2

p. 101-116
DOI: 10.18522/2073-6606-2026-24-2-101-116

Citation: Kochergin D.A. (2026). Benefits and risks of the application of artificial intelligence in central bank operations. Terra Economicus 24(2), 101–116 (in Russian). DOI: 10.18522/2073-66062026-24-2-101-116

The article deals with the opportunities and risks associated with the implementation of artificial intelligence technologies in central banks. The study examines the key concepts and elements of the artificial intelligence hierarchy, identifies the most promising areas for the application of generative artificial intelligence in central bank operations, highlights the risks associated with the implementation of artificial intelligence, and proposes methods to minimize them. The study found that the main contemporary cases for artificial intelligence use in central banks involve: economic analysis and forecasting, improving the functioning of payment systems, regulation, supervision, and control over the activities of financial institutions, detection of information anomalies, and risk assessment. It has been established that the use of artificial intelligence technologies in central banking operations can enhance the effectiveness of anti-money laundering efforts, strengthen cybersecurity, and support the fulfillment of mandates related to price and financial stability. At the same time, the adoption of such technologies may create new sources of operational, reputational, and model risks, as well as risks related to data privacy, which requires the establishment of an adequate risk management system. Adapting existing risk management models to artificial intelligence projects based on a multi-layered defense approach, along with the comprehensive implementation of measures to minimize the negative consequences of artificial intelligence adoption, can facilitate its implementation across various areas of central bank operations.

TERRA ECONOMICUS, Vol. 24, No 2

p. 117-134
DOI: 10.18522/2073-6606-2026-24-2-117-134

Citation: Frants M., Borodin A., Dzyuba E., Gubarev R. (2026). Delineating responsibility: Analyzing the low-wage worker problem from an equal opportunity theory perspective. Terra Economicus 24(2), 117–134 (in Russian). DOI: 10.18522/2073-6606-2026-24-2-117-134

This paper deals with the issue of low-income workers from the point of view of equal opportunities theory. Using data from LiTS (2016–2017, 2022–2023), we conduct a comparative analysis of the prevalence and inequality of low-paid employment in post-communist countries. A parametric approach with direct estimation is used for measuring inequality, and individual circumstances are determined using Shapley’s decomposition. The study found that, on average, EU member states have a better situation than post-Soviet states regarding the issue. For example, the share of people employed in low-paying jobs was 16,7% and 23,5% in 2016–2017, with 11,46% and 28,44% in 2022–2023 in EU and post-Soviet countries, respectively. Inequality of opportunities was 0,1418 in EU countries and 0,1805 in post-Soviet countries in 2016–2017. In 2022–2023, these figures were 0,1225 and 0,2013, respectively. Circumstances contribute significantly to inequality in most post- Soviet countries (Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan), especially parental education. However, age also plays a role in EU states (Germany, Greece, Latvia, Poland, Slovenia and Slovakia).

TERRA ECONOMICUS, Vol. 24, No 2

p. 135-151
DOI: 10.18522/2073-6606-2026-24-2-135-151

Citation: Cherkasova T.P., Zolochevskaya E.Yu., Ponamarev A.B., Ayrapetyan D.A. (2026). Technological sovereignty model in agro-industrial biotechnology. Terra Economicus 24(2), 135–151 (in Russian). DOI: 10.18522/2073-6606-2026-24-2-135-151

Acknowledgment: The article was supported by the state assignment of the RANEPA № 8.3-2026-1 “Directions of agricultural policy to achieve food sovereignty and develop Russia’s export potential”.

In the context of increasing geopolitical contradictions and sanctions pressure, technological sovereignty is becoming strategically important for the Russian agro-industrial complex. The present study focuses on technological sovereignty in agro-industrial biotechnologies, including breeding, genetics and the production of biologics. Technological sovereignty is treated as the country’s own resource, personnel and institutional base of critical and end-to-end technologies necessary for the sustainable functioning of the agro-industrial complex. The methodological basis of the research is a combination of an indicative analysis of regional ratings (innovation development, investment attractiveness, scientific and technological potential) and a series of semi-structured interviews with industry experts representing the sub-sectors of crop production, animal husbandry and biotechnological production. The study reveals a significant unevenness in the distribution of biotechnological potential between Russian regions: when a high level of self-sufficiency in biologics and grain crops is achieved, high dependence on imports in the field of breeding and genetics is recorded. The key barriers to achieving technological sovereignty in the field of agro-industrial biotechnologies have been identified: the loss of scientific schools, a shortage of qualified personnel, and import dependence. The results allow us to formulate recommendations for improving the state agrarian policy to ensure technological sovereignty in agro industry, taking into account regional specifics.