On the legal regulation of economic relations in Russia during the market economy transition (1990-1993)

The transition of the socialist-style economic system to a market economy is a complex process that required the formation of a new tax system, market infrastructure, pricing principles and so on. At the heart of economic reform is the distribution of ownership of the means of production, that determines the model of the economic system and the nature of economic relations. This article is devoted to this issue. It studies the relevant normative legal acts of the RSFSR and the Russian Federation for 1990-1993 and analyses the dynamics of establishing the limits of public (state and municipal) and private property rights. It was established that in the initial stage of the reform, legal acts enshrined equality of all forms of property and carefully solved the problem of state monopolism. But then, in two stages, but in a short time, instead of equal rights for all forms of ownership at the legal level, the bias towards private property has been consolidated, even in a number of strategic and social spheres. Special attention is paid to the legislative establishment of foreign individuals’ and legal entities’ right to conduct business activities in Russia, to acquire ownership of strategic property and resources, and to provide banking support for privatisation transactions. It is concluded that in the period under study the essence of transformations was not only to eradicate the legacy of the command economic system, but also to subordinate the Russian economy to external players. From two types of economic relations, only organisational and economic developed adequately. But they did not work to the benefit of the state and society, which unbalanced the entire economic system and resulted in a deep economic crisis.