Part 3/8:
However, this transition was rife with corruption. One notorious scheme called "loans for shares" allowed the Russian government to lend money to banks, enabling them to acquire national assets—like Yukos, which came to be worth billions—for a fraction of their worth. The result was an oligarch class that amassed vast fortunes while the general populace suffered significant socioeconomic decline. This disparity created a rift within society, leading to widespread poverty, rampant crime, and a staggering number of premature deaths due to economic distress.