Offers a unique overview of this giant’s weaknesses. The overlapping of responsibilities, and the tendency to mix institutions from different eras of development and institutional cultures, show how problematic incomplete reform is combined with the huge impact that civil emergencies and man-made crisis can have for an enormous centralized but anarchic bureaucracy.’ Iulian Chifu, Conflict Prevention and Early Warning Center, Romania ’In the increasingly interdependent world under circumstances of globalization, crises management in Russia is a significant issue, not only for countries like Latvia which are situated in the neighbourhood of this regional power, but for the whole of Europe. This study, involving both Russian and Western scholars, makes a great contribution to the field.’ Ainars Dimants, Turiba University, Latvia