UAZ, a Russian auto manufacturer, and several other large factories (particularly in Ulyanovsk) have closed their doors for an extended period of time. After closing for the new year last month, most of the factories have yet to start-up again. That leaves 16,500 employees in limbo at UAZ alone. The factory closings are merely a symptom of a much larger problem, as the global economic crisis seizes Russia and workers face potential widespread unemployment. The crisis will test the Kremlin (the Russian government); in fact, criticism and protests directed at the Kremlin's handling of the economy have already begun.
See "Idling Factories Keep the Kremlin Occupied", Clifford J. Levy, The New York Times, February 1, 2009