Russian, Central Eurasian, and East European Geography

Abstract

Over the past decade, the societies that encompass Russia, Central Eurasia, and East Europe have experienced profound and radical change. Today, the region is making uneven progress toward democratic modes of government and market-oriented economies. The fluid dynamics of change within the region make it one of the most exciting and rewarding areas of research within geography. Across Russia, Central Eurasia, and East Europe vital lessons can be learned about the contextual nature of political and economic transition. At the same time, crucial insights can be obtained into the more universal process of regional transformation and the social reconstruction of place identity. This region is a laboratory for testing the relevancy of geographic research and theory for a post-socialist world. This chapter reviews the major changes in the practice and orientation of geographic research in the region since the collapse of state-socialism (see Ch. 39, Asian Geography, for further information on the Central Asian countries). This chapter comments on the methodological, conceptual, and topical evolution of this area-specialty over the last decade. It concludes by contemplating the possible directions of future geographic research in the region. Prior to the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and the dissolution of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics in 1991, the societies of Russia, Central Eurasia, and East Europe were typically defined in political and economic terms as a unified region, known as the Soviet bloc. While national and cultural differences across the Soviet bloc were not ignored, they were treated as less significant than the uniform pattern of planned economies and communist regimes that governed the region. The region was further unified through the political and economic primacy of Moscow, where decisions were made that directly impacted the states throughout Russia, Central Eurasia, and East Europe. In the Soviet era, geographic research in the region focused largely on strategic questions relating to the efficiency, efficacy, and future trajectory of the state-socialist model of economic and political development. The topics explored by geographers ranged from issues of agricultural production to urban structure to regional economic investment to domestic and international migration.