CHANGES IN RURAL SETTLEMENT PATTERNS IN RUSSIA DURING THE LATE 20TH — EARLY 21ST CENTURIES

Transformation of the rural settlement patterns in Russia is discussed both from traditional settling point of view and considering the changing functions of rural settlements. The dynamics of rural population numbers during late-Soviet and post-Soviet periods was analyzed using 1970, 1989 and 2010 Censuses data, as well as the spatial density and population numbers of rural settlements. The general trend of the rural settlement patterns is the overall decrease of rural population numbers and concentration of rural dwellers in larger settlements. These processes were not simultaneous in different regions of this country and were combined with diverse changes in population numbers of rural settlements. Gradual decrease was typical for rather well-going regions of the forest-steppe zone, while the Non-Chernozem region experienced a rapid failure with medium-size settlements turning into the smallest-size ones. Permanent increase in rural population numbers and preservation of the overall settlement network pattern is typical just for few regions of Southern Russia.

These processes started in the Soviet period under the influence of the external factors, mainly the urbanization development. During the post-Soviet period the internal factors became more important. These are the changes of the rural economic basis and the functions of many rural settlements which lost their positions as subdivisions of collective agricultural enterprises. Another factor is the rapid growth of suburban settlement pattern which has other functions, is influenced by other factors and produces other type of rural dwellers than traditional rural country. 

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