Russian entrepreneurship in the context of the economic crisis: tendencies, problems and prospects

The economic crisis that began in 2014 continues to have a negative impact on Russian entrepreneurship. The measures taken to overcome the consequences of the crisis do not give the desired results. The objective of the article is to analyze the main trends of entrepreneurship in Russia and identify areas of its activation to support sustainable economic growth and economic security. The article presents the authors’ approach to the definition of entrepreneurial activity. A number of indicators for assessing entrepreneurial activity are proposed. The basic tendencies of development of small and medium business of Russia during the crisis are revealed. Two key factors determining the level of entrepreneurial activity are assessed: the desire and willingness of people to engage in entrepreneurial activity and the availability of conditions for the creation and development of their own business in Russia. We also marked the features of motivation of Russians to start their own business. The key factors that have a negative impact on the development of Russian entrepreneurship and determine the direction of the application of the efforts of state and public institutions to activate it are formulated