The article presents the analysis results of the Russian and Russian-speaking population dynamics at the state and regional level of the European CIS countries (Belarus, Ukraine and Moldova) and Baltic states (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania) in the post-Soviet period. In accordance with the population censuses in these countries, the study interval is divided into two periods: the last decade of the 20th century and first decade of 21st century. The 1990s were characterized by a significant outflow of the Russian population from the Baltic states and Moldova, and a decrease in the proportion of Russians due to a change of ethnic identity in the Republic of Belarus and Ukraine. In the first decade of the 21st century, the outflow of Russians from the Baltic states continued, it was the most significant in Latvia, the minimal in Estonia. In the Republic of Belarus due to the Russian language adoption as the second state language in 1995 there has been a significant increase in the number and proportion of the population that recognizes Russian as mother tongue. The analysis results of the dynamics of Russians’ proportion are viewed through the prism of the concept of geo-cultural space. According to this concept, the Russian population proportion can be the quantitative criterion for distinguishing the components of the Russian geoethnocultural system territorial structure, which has experienced significant “shrinking” in the post-Soviet period.

The article concerns with a bundle of Baikal region problems in relation to global processes. These problems are not formulated distinctly yet. Baikal region is at once a critical part of Eurasia and Russia, important natural resource, one of the few globally significant territories in Russia, notable for highest grade of biodiversity and landscape diversity, a place of great geopolitical and geostrategic significance, indicator of social habits, sacral symbol of Russia. The basic cultural, legal and ethical clashes essential for recognition of the problems are detected. The ecological problems of this unique territory are immersed in both cultural and global context. A draft concept of Olkhon Island maintenance is given.

The criterion system for a complex estimation of the economic and geoecological state of the coasts, their resistance to possible natural and man-made impacts is presented and tested in the paper on examples of Sakhalin and Iturup islands. This criterion system takes into account both the current state of the seacoasts and their past and forecasted variability. For complex estimation of the coasts’ state by proposed criterion system coastal sections with different geographical characteristics, intensity and types of economic use were selected. The estimation showed that the natural variability of geosystems and their high susceptibility to natural threats create the greatest difficulty for the economic use of selected coast sections. The probability of largescale actions’ carrying out to increase the coastline resilience to natural threats is low. Natural features of coastal landscapes, combined with a relatively low population density and small number of economic sites in the analyzed area, as a rule, do not lead to insoluble inter-industry contradiction. Recommendations about the feasibility of the type of economic use for coast sector are given based on the complex estimation fulfilled.

Belgorod is one of the earliest and most prominent examples of the development of Western-style suburbanization in post-Soviet Russia. Based on the analysis of satellite images’ time-series, we traced dynamics of Belgorod suburbia development, and determined factors of its localization. We propose a method to interpret types of suburban settlement patterns (e.g. a system of the elements’ interpretation) and identified main shortcomings. A key feature of the rapid suburbanization of Belgorod during the post-Soviet period was the formation of extensive suburban sprawl areas, which are completely morphologically different from traditional seasonal (dachas) and rural single-story suburbs. Sprawl expansion on this territory occurred in two distinct waves, the first of which was induced by an influx of ethnic-Russian migrants from the near abroad, and the second coincided with the period of relatively high rates of economic development of Russia and Belgorod oblast in the 2000s and began to decline in early 2010. Growing systems of genetically related sprawling areas form tree-like graphs (due to the requirement for access to utilities and to the major transportation routes), the roots of which are the areas of high-rise buildings, and the leaves—younger “generations” of sprawling areas.

The global integration and disintegration cycles alternate in the development of the world economy. The growth of the world economy can be seen as the “up-regime” in the nonlinear dynamics by the analogy with population growth in the theory of S.P. Kapitsa. Accordingly, this growth is the subject to the internal laws, and not external constraints. S.P. Kapitsa has formulated this concept as a principle of demographic imper ative. The slowdown both in population growth and in economic growth in the coming years is inevitable. Two scenarios are possible: (1) the worst-case in the spirit of “limits to growth” and (2) the transition from extensive development to intensive, in the spirit of a disgraced Soviet philosopher M. Petrov. The change in the trend to the degradation of the educational and intellectual level is a necessary condition for the preservation of the progressive development of society in the conditions of a significant slowdown in the GDP.

One of the main problems hindering the development of the territories adjoining state boundary in the east of Russia is the population outflow-mainly departure of educated, young and active citizens. Among its reasons are territorial differences in the level and quality of life. The indicators of dynamics of net income (adjusted for price increases in Russian regions) of citizens legally employed in various industries and sectors, were chosen as quantitative characteristics of the interregional differentiation factors. The period from 2011— from the time of economic stabilization after the crisis of2008-2009-to 2016 was considered. Processing and analysis of official statistical information were carried out using GIS technologies; the results are presented by thematic maps of the spatial distribution of the studied indicators in the regions of the Russian Federation. Crises and economic shocks undoubtedly had a significant impact on the regions’ economy, however the degree of sensitivity to them (determined by socio-economic policy) was highly heterogeneous. The policy of import substitution has had a positive impact on the agricultural sector, and in most Russian regions the net income of rural workers has increased significantly. Citizens net incomes in the agro-industrial complex remain low, the share of people living in rural settlements in the eastern border regions is quite high, so it is necessary to state that the geopolitical problems in the East of the country are still far from being solved. As a result of processing and analysis of a large data array, it was found that the dynamics of net income of employees in the economy in the Far East is generally more favorable than in Eastern Siberia, although there are significant sectoral differences.

The hydrochemical regime changes of Nadym River near city of Nadym from the start of regular observations in 1955 till 2016 in conditions of anthropogenic impact and global climate change was reviewed. Shown, that the relations between the major ion concentrations (ions of sodium and potassium, calcium, magnesium, chlorides, sulfates and bicarbonates) and water discharge from 1980 are getting weaker down to insignificant. Likewise, disturbances the natural ratio between the major ions, which most pronounced in a strong positive trend of the sulfate ions content in river water, are arise. The data on the long-term dynamics of the main ions in the main phases of the hydrological regime (spring high water, summer-autumn and winter low water) are presented. The probable causes of the observed preconditions to technogenic metamorphization of Nadym River ionic composition are considered: impact of untreated sewage discharge, atmospheric transport of anthropogenic and natural sulfur compounds, and pollution by mineralized formation waters. It has been suggested that the sulfates increased during all phases of the hydrological regime, including the winter low water, is associated with contamination of ground waters as a result of filtration and leakage of drilling waste from slurry barns. Probably, it occurs due to the degradation of their natural waterproofing layer of permafrost rocks under the influence of global climate change.

In the works of B.N. Zimin laid the basic principles and approaches to geo-graphical world economic analysis. One of the key ones is the complementarity of sectoral and territorial approaches. He identified the key patterns of industry placement in a mature market environment, the influence of integration processes on shifts in industry placement. He considered European integration as a periodic, cyclical phenomenon and as a process having rational dimensions and finite values of functioning efficiency. Based on clearly formulated criteria (GDP volume, excess of GNP over domestic demand by more than 1/3, narrow sectoral structure of the economy focused primarily on foreign markets, increased share of non-domestic production), B.N. Zimin developed the theory of “Small countries”. From his work on the geography of the “black market” grew a fullfledged direction of economic and geographical research. Assessing the prospects of post-socialist transformation of the Russian economy Zimin proved that it will not take place in an autarkic way, but in the context of reintegration in world economic system and will be determined by the situation in world markets in the global economy.

The important hydrological and hydro-ecological role of slope runoff, especially in spring (SSR), is shown. The data of 28 water balance stations on the SSR value on the territory of the Russian Plain in the years of different water flow are summarized. The hydrological role of autumn ploughing in the forest-steppe and steppe zones is shown. It leads to SSR decrease on the fields of autumn ploughing in comparison with the SSR on the fields not plowed in autumn, and most significantly in high-water and average years. The exception is the driest years, when there is no surface slope runoff on all lands. Two periods are considered – from the 1920s to 1980 and from 1981 to the present time. They are characterized by different climate features and anthropogenic impact. It is revealed that the SSR in the second period has reduced dramatically (by several times), mainly as a result of climate change, which has both positive and negative consequences.

The assessment of heat waves’ number, intensity and duration change during summer (June-August) in the Russia territory for the “historical period” (1980-1999) and for the middle of the 21st century (2046-2055) was made according to the data of the global climate model (INMCM4) of the Institute of Numerical Mathematics, Russian Academy of Sciences. The definition of the extreme events’ criteria depends on the thresholds’ choice. In this paper, heat waves’ thresholds are considered as the values of the 95th percentile of maximum daily temperature distribution. An increase in the number of days with maximum temperatures exceeding the threshold values for the south of the European Russia and Western Siberia, Yakutia, the north of Chukotka, and Primorsky krai in the middle of the 21st century according to the “soft” scenario of RCP4.5 was revealed. Maximum changes are expected in Taimyr and Yamal. In the rest of the territory, the number of such days will be reduced. For the “hard” scenario of RCP8.5, more contrast changes in the similar locations are expected. Under the “hard” scenario, by the middle of the 21st century the maximum temperature in the heat wave will exceed 40°C in the south of the country.