According to a recent study by the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration (RANEPA), commissioned by the government, 129 small towns across Russia are currently at risk of disappearing, as reported by `Izvestia`.
These settlements are home to an estimated 3.4 million people, and over the past decade, their collective population has seen a significant decline, shrinking by 314,000 residents.
The research highlights that diminishing employment opportunities and a reduction in the number of small and medium-sized businesses are key factors contributing to the depopulation of these areas. The most pronounced population decreases have been observed in northern towns traditionally reliant on industries such as coal mining, metallurgy, and timber. Specific examples include Verkhny Tagil (Sverdlovsk region), Trubchevsk (Bryansk region), Inta (Komi Republic), Kem and Medvezhyegorsk (Karelia), and Torzhok (Tver region).
While investment projects focused on infrastructure development are reportedly being prepared for 106 of these vulnerable towns, experts caution that this demographic decline may ultimately prove irreversible.
