Areas of Depressive Socio-Economic Development of the Southern European Part of Russia

Abstract

The purpose is to identify the areas of the South of the European part of Russia, characterized by a depressed socio-economic development, as well as a brief description of these areas. Materials and methods. As research materials, municipal statistics of Russian regions for 2012-2023, as well as various industry information sources were used: the "Investment Projects" platform, "SPARK-Interfax," the Rostourism registry, etc. Key research methods are cartographic and graphoanalytical. The defi nition of a municipality as depressive was based on its compliance with several specific criteria for depression. Results and discussion. The hypothesis about the large extent of the depressive range was confirmed. These are mainly rural areas and small towns. The Volgograd and Rostov Regions stand out especially strongly. Depressive regions are characterized by intensive depopulation, primitivization of agriculture, and low investment activity. Municipalities within large urban agglomerations and resort areas, as well as municipalities with large industrial enterprises, were characterized by a favorable situation. Conclusions. The spatial development of the region is characterized by increased polarization. This process poses significant threats to the southern regions, as the population of villages and small towns is employed in the agricultural sector, which is important for economy of these regions. Other problems are the possible increase in social tension and deterioration of the environmental situation. To address these issues, it is necessary to implement additional measures of regional policy.