Condolences following the death of Leonid Abalkin 2011-05-02 16:30:00 Dmitry Medvedev expressed his condolences following the death of outstanding Russian economist Leonid Abalkin. The message reads, in part: “Mr Abalkin was one of the figures at the origins of Russia’s transformation to a market economy and did much to establish new economic mechanisms. A scholar known all around the world, Academician Abalkin had deserved influence in the Russian and international academic communities.” Mr Abalkin was 80 years old.