Ownership changes and transformation of the Russian pulp and paper industry

This paper analyzes recent transformations in the Russian pulp and paper industry, focusing on ownership changes and their effects at the regional and local scales. Russian forest corporations, investment funds, and transnational companies have been purchasing mills and replacing the state as the main agent shaping this sector of the economy. Production figures are presented, main actors identified, recent ownership changes analyzed, and the effects of these processes for mill towns examined. These issues are investigated not only for the Russian Federation, but for three northwestern Russian regions as well: the Republic of Karelia, Leningrad Oblast, and Vologda Oblast.