Declining towns in Russia, 1989-1993

An analysis of the population census in 1989 and the estimated population of Russia in 1993 shows an increase in the number of declining towns. Most of the declining towns are in the industrialized Central and Northwest areas of Russia. Many large towns, mining towns and suburbs of Russia have declined. The decline is accompanied by an increase in the number of small industrial towns, especially those producing textile and forest products. The main reason for the decline is slowing down of urban process and economic conditions in former USSR and early post-Soviet Russia.