Diversifying the economies of these cities will not be easy. By design, they are remote and isolated, limiting the opportunities for trade. While these cities once received the best of everything the Soviet Union had to offer, including deep respect from the society at large for their scientific contributions and national defense mission, their economies have virtually collapsed with the drastic decline in central government funding for nuclear weapons activities. In general, these cities have seen less of the benefits of reform than virtually any other part of Russia. Thus, efforts to develop new businesses in these cities are certain to be difficult and are likely to require enormous creativity, perseverance, and substantial government subsidies.
Some programs designed in part to foster such diversification are already underway.
Both of these programs are making important progress and adapting to new opportunities. Neither of these programs, however, is specifically targeted on the nuclear cities, and as of today, there are no mechanisms to support establishment of new businesses in these cities in which US labs and businesses do not play a central role. Similarly, existing defense conversion programs have begun contributing to the shift of some facilities from commercial to civilian production, but none of these programs has been targeted specifically at the nuclear cities and only a tiny amount of funding from them is going to the nuclear cities. Nevertheless, the prospects are not entirely bleak. A large international effort is needed to identify and support new business prospects for these cities.