This study was prepared to provide a convenient compendium of data for those participating in a conference on "Russian and Soviet Studies in the United States" held at the Institute of Advanced Studies in Princeton, New Jersey, in May, 1972. The purpose of the conference and of the study was to assess the state of teaching and research on the U.S.S.R. in the United States and to suggest means of improving them. The study is based on extensive interviews with leaders of the field of Soviet studies, on a review of the files of leading funding agencies, and on quantitative data on the field compiled by scholarly organizations in the field. Sharp declines in both Russian language and area studies have been registered during the last four years, and these declines are greater than the general decline in language enrollments. The broad picture revealed by the study includes two basic features: (1) the increasing concentration of major libraries and documentary resources in a few leading centers after a period of expansion at dozens of libraries and archival collections around the United States; and (2) the increasing decentralization of scholarly expertise on the U.S.S.R., to the extent that competent researchers are located at dozens of institutions in the United States. In addition to calling for a general renewal of support for training and reaserch in the area, the study stressed the need for a greater degree of coordination of scholarly efforts. (Author/CFM)