The gift economy is an economy in which economic benefits are provided to a client with an influential patron in exchange for a returned gift, a portion of the profits from the client's business [https://youtu.be/HX2M1FDuboI]. As a rule, this involves more severe exploitation of the subordinate than in a market economy. All of this takes place outside of the usual institutional tax mechanism. The origins of such an economic system appeared, apparently, a very long time ago. In many archaic societies, such a system still exists. In the USSR, such a system was hidden and not declared, moreover, it was publicly condemned in words, which did not interfere with its existence. The existence of such a hidden system of "gifts" (purchasing positions) is described in Voslensky's book "Nomenclature" [http://krotov.info/lib_sec/03_v/osl/ensky_0.htm].
In the modern Russian Federation, this economic system, the gift economy, exists in parallel with the emergence of a market economy and a consumption economy, which, apparently, leads to contradictions between the power that emerged from the party nomenclature of the USSR and a new capitalist class. The new capitalist class of the Russian Federation is still subject to the old communist nomenclature and their descendants.
How exactly does it work? The government gives the client permission for any activity. If the client is not included in the circle of people close to the nomenclature (for example, is not a relative) and works without a black kickback (this is not a bribe, but a periodic transfer of money to a representative of the benefactor), then the patron oversees the business and, if it develops successfully, then the business is simply taken away from the owner, and the owner can be killed or imprisoned. Thus, any large successful business must be owned by a certain nomenclature family and managed by its representative.
How does it work in Russian science? Following the successes of Soviet atomic and rocket projects in the 1940s-1960s, the nomenclature viewed scientific positions as a convenient sinecure for their representatives. The descendants of the nomenclature began to head large scientific organizations. This became especially noticeable in the 70-80s. For example, Igor Troitsky wrote about such a case in the third part of the trilogy "Memoirs of the Old PhysTech" [https://7i.7iskusstv.com/y2019/nomer1/troizkij/]. Science is possible only if you receive funding for your research, but if you are embedded in the gift economy, then you must bring part of the funds allocated for science through the back door back to the representative of the patron who controls the distribution of funds. All attempts to obtain funding on their own, over the head of the head of a scientific organization, are harshly suppressed. If, nevertheless, there is an opportunity to receive funds from an independent grant, then conditions are created in a state scientific or educational institution that impede the implementation of a scientific project.
To date, there are almost no scientific foundations in the Russian Federation that support independent research. For example, the Russian Foundation for Basic Research was transferred to the Russian Science Foundation, which limited the economic freedom of research that the Russian Foundation for Basic Research had. After receiving money from a foreign scientific foundation, an individual can be recognized as a “foreign agent” and held accountable.
This situation is not conducive to engaging in scientific activities in the Russian Federation. There is no way out of this situation. Simply accepting the existing "rules of the game" is not an option. The goal of science in Russia is to receive "gifts" from a position, and not to seek the truth and not to benefit from scientific developments. To some extent, science can be used for the Russian military. If you are at the bottom of the food chain (the definition of social Darwinism), then such activities will not bring joy, moral satisfaction, or money, but only a broken life, financial problems at the end of a career, and health problems. Therefore, if possible, you need to look for a means of survival in another area. And to work for the sake of science for the soul is necessary where it is really in demand.
