Russian Devaluation in 2014-2015: Falling into the Abyss or Window of Opportunities?

The fall in the oil prices from mid-2014 is causing a decrease in domestic demand and a strong devaluation of the ruble, which in turn promotes the growth of the price competitiveness of Russian producers, stimulates the supply side of the economy (especially in foreign markets, where there is no recession), and thus creates the possibility of offsetting the fall in domestic demand due to the growth of net exports. However, as the analysis of the economic literature, the world experience and current Russian economic trends demonstrates, the joint impact of oil prices and ruble devaluation on the growth rates of the Russian economy, with all its structural problems, can lead to a much more severe recession than the majority of experts, if to judge by average consensus estimates, expect in their forecasts (as of the end of September 2015).