Want a measure of how far the Russian economy has come in recent years? Russians are putting money in their banks.

If you are an American of a certain age, that statement may seem to be a bit of a head-scratcher: Why wouldn't you put your money in a bank? Ask your grandmother, or anybody old enough to remember the Great Depression. When you don't have faith in your country's economy you don't put money in a bank.

But Russians are putting money in the bank now--in droves. According to a story yesterday by the Agence France Press, bank assets jumped 13% in the first four months of this year.

It has been a long road back. In early 1998, Russia suffered a terrible financial implosion. In late May, the central bank boosted interest rates to a whopping 150% to keep the rouble from melting but it did no good. All throughout the summer, the Moscow stock market was pummeled as the government tried to work out a loan package with the International Monetary Fund. It completely collapsed in mid-August as then-president Boris Yeltsin wrangled with legislators over tax reforms. By September the country's economy was in tatters, and the average Russian citizen saw all the economic gains of perestroika wiped out, virtually overnight. To make matters worse, in 1998 Russia suffered its worst grain harvest in 45 years.

What does this all have to do with adoption? It was during this turmoil that my older son came to be placed in a baby home, and I often find myself wondering about the role that the economic collapse played in that decision. I've tried to explain this period of Russian history to him by asking him to imagine what it would be like if he woke up one morning and, instead of having $300 in the bank, he was told his account was only worth three cents.

Russia today is a far different place. According to the AFP story, real wages grew 17.5% in the first quarter of 2007. Merrill Lynch is predicting a 100% increase in mortgages this year.