The dynamics of population size in regional capitals of modern Russia

Abstract

The object of this research is the cities of Russia, while the subject is the dynamics of regional capitals by population size in post-Soviet period. The goal is to determine the types of dynamics and patterns of their territorial distribution. The typology considers the decline in population size in 1990s – 2010s and its subsequent restoration. In the course of research, the author processed statistical information based on population size of the cities and socioeconomic characteristics of regions of the Russian Federation. The areal approach was applied for determination of large territories with certain types of dynamics of the cities. The author is first to carry out classification of the dynamics of population size in post-Soviet Russia, highlighting the following four parts: extended restoration, incomplete restoration, stable growth, stable decline). The areas with most widespread types are defined. It is concluded that after a decline in 1990s – 2010s, in a relatively large part of regional capitals of Russia (about 42%), the population exceeded the size of 1991 by 2020. The dynamics of population size of regional capitals of national entities looks more favorable than the dynamics of regional capitals of the counties. A large monolith area of incomplete type of restoration covers the majority of Volga Region, Central Non-Black Earth area, part of Central Black Earth area and Northeastern European Russia. The type of extended restoration has two main monolith areas, one of which covers a part of Central Black Earth area and South-West, while another – the majority of Ural and Western Siberia, and a part of Eastern Siberia. Socioeconomic characteristics of the region, which reflect the level of its development and well-being, have correlational ties with dynamics of a regional capital, but do not fully explain the origin of areas of particular type of dynamics.