Encouraging small cultural enterprises in Russia : gateways and barriers in Russian society

As Russia moves from a demand-led to a market economy, small cultural enterprises are emerging in a sporadic and fragmented way, often encouraged by teams of Western experts. This article argues that Western models of cultural growth are not always appropriate models for Russia, because the history of cultural development and consumption has followed entirely different patterns; concepts of the fundamental roles of culture are different; and culture-led regeneration has to tackle different problems from those of the West. It is also suggested that Russia may have advantages not typical of Western economies that can be exploited in cultural enterprise growth. The article concludes with three examples of emerging cultural enterprise in Moscow and St Petersburg.