Trajectories and problems of the current spatial development of Russia’s European Near North regions

Abstract

This article employs a comprehensive economic and geographical approach to examine the extensive European segment of Russia that extends north of the Moscow region – the area commonly known as Blizhny Sever (Near North). New challenges require an improvement of Russia’s spatial development strategy. The case of the region is used to illustrate the possibility of a multiscale approach to identifying socioeconomic contrasts within regions and describing the interdependent development of their parts. The study analyses population change trends from 1990 to 2022 alongside the territory’s migration patterns, employment trends and infrastructure development. The spatial approach is crucial in this context, owing to the natural variations within the macroregion, the suburban-peripheral contrasts and the growing role of the central cities. The study closely examines the eastern part of the macro-region, from Yaroslavl to Kirov. The compression of developed areas and the degradation of essential living conditions have been the most pronounced trends in the post-Soviet period, along with organisational and economic changes in key economic sectors. The study also explores how the impact of regional centres on surrounding areas changes with distance. It places emphasis on the shifting paradigm of agricultural land use under new institutional and economic conditions, the increasingly patchwork character of farming and the implications of the focus on animal husbandry. The work relies on analysing municipal-level statistical information and the extensive use of maps. Identifying both relatively successful and highly problematic areas within this vast macro-region can aid in devising new visions to enhance national and regional spatial development strategies.