From City of Kostroma to the Regional Outskirts

Abstract—: This article discusses the characteristics and main problems of Kostroma oblast, located on the northeastern outskirts of the Central Federal District. This is a region of old, but extremely uneven settlement pattern, and decreasing population density with distance from Kostroma. In addition to the region’s center, its economic base is forest resources with shrinking focal agricultural land use. The main “locomotives” of the region’s development have changed over time and its socioeconomic prospects are not clear. Based on the case of one remote municipality, it is shown how the developed space expanded and shrunk and what problems arose in the Soviet and post-Soviet periods. The correlation between population dynamics and land use identifies the interdependence between them and shows how depopulation changes the psychology of local residents and what is the role of the newcomer urban summer residents. Article discusses the problems of preserving cultural heritage in shrinking rural settlements with the identification of the population groups most interested in its preservation. It ends with an analysis of possible models of “controlled shrinkage,” including the preservation and development of not only traditional branches of economy, but also the new ones.