Impact of Railroads on Demographic Development of Small Towns in the Central Black Soil Region

Abstract

The purpose of the article is to evaluate the infl uence of railroads on the demographic development of small towns in the Central Black Soil Region in diff erent historical periods. Materials and Methods. The study was conducted on the example of 39 small towns of the Central Black Soil Region and was aimed at fi nding the dependence of population dynamics on the availability of railroads. To achieve the purpose, the system and historical approaches were used; as well as methods: statistical, structural groupings, geoinformation cartographic modeling. Results and Discussion. In the course of the work, the railroad stations of small towns were grouped according to the number of commercial operations they perform into large, medium, and small. A separate group included cities without railroads. It is found that cities with railroad connections have stable population growth. Conclusions. Railroads play a key role in the development of small towns in the Central Black Soil Region. In most cases, the presence of railroads leads to population growth. It is revealed that the population growth depends not only and not so much on the rating of the railroad station, but also on the demographic potential and factors of other etiology, such as the construction of city-forming industrial enterprises.