Tugan-Baranovsky’s Theory of Socialism and Reality of “Developed Socialism”

The article deals with the theory of socialism of M. I. Tugan-Baranovsky and the previous theorists of socialist thought. The authors show that the practice of real socialism in the USSR and other countries was based, to a greater extent, on the ideas of non-Marxist socialist thinkers. The analysis of the ideas of Tugan-Baranovsky and other authors showed how theoretical errors affected the economic policy of the USSR and other countries and led to the collapse of real socialism. The main conclusions are that real socialism, contrary to the theory, could not give productivity growth and an alternative to the market for coordinating economic processes compared to capitalism. It also did not provide incentives for the work and creative development of the individual. The article is intended for those interested in the history of economic thought and the practice of building socialism.