RUSSIA IN THE GLOBAL FUEL AND ENERGY SYSTEM: THE HISTORICAL FORMATION OF COMPETITIVENESS FROM THE LATE XIX TO THE EARLY XXI CENTURY

Abstract

Introduction. The article examines the evolution of Russia’s fuel and energy complex as one of the key components of the national economy and the global energy system. Materials and methods. The study is based on a historical-economic approach, systems analysis, and a statistical-analytical interpretation of data describing the dynamics of energy production, processing, and exports, as well as changes in the role of the fuel and energy complex in the country’s economy. Research results. The main stages in the formation and transformation of Russia’s oil, coal, and gas industries from the late nineteenth century to 2021 are identified. It is shown that the competitive position of Russia’s fuel and energy complex was shaped by a combination of resource endowment, institutional transformations, infrastructure development, and the impact of major political and economic events. The study finds that, in the contemporary period, the fuel and energy complex retains high macroeconomic significance; however, the persistent dominance of the oil and gas segment and the high energy intensity of the economy constrain its long-term competitiveness. Discussion and conclusion. Development of Russia’s fuel and energy complex has been historically continuous but structurally uneven, while its current state is determined by the combination of high external economic significance and persistent technological and economic constraints