NEPmen

NEPmen, short for New Economic Policy men, were middlemen and entrepreneurs in Soviet Russia during the 1920s. They emerged after the NEP (New Economic Policy) allowed limited private enterprise, enabling individuals to buy, sell, and trade goods for profit. NEPmen operated shops, markets, and small industries, thriving in this semi-capitalist environment. They played a crucial role in reviving the economy by connecting producers with consumers. However, with the government's shift toward greater control and socialist policies in the late 1920s, NEPmen faced repression and decline, marking a move away from the NEP era’s mixed economy.