Scattered across different parts of a large country. Cities with a population of over a million are the center of attraction for millions of tourists from all over the world, migrants, students and workers. Population statistics are compiled from the annual population census by RosStat. It is worth noting that the population includes only citizens who permanently reside in the territory of a particular city. The following are the most populated cities in Russia.

1. Moscow

Moscow is the largest city in Russia both in terms of population and area. A population of 12,330,126 people inhabits both sides of the city’s waterway, the Moscow River. The capital of the state, Moscow, is the most multinational city in Russia: migrants, students, workers and tourists come here from all over the country.

Ten facts about Moscow:

• a major international center of economics and trade;
• a major industrial hub of the country;
• one of the best and largest educational centers for Russian and foreign students;
• a large number of research institutes are located in Moscow;
• more than 50 directions in religion;
• a large cultural and historical center of the European part of Russia;
• the country's largest transport interchange: 3 river ports (Moscow in Soviet times was called the “port of 5 seas”), 9 railway stations, 5 airports with directions to all corners of the planet;
• Moscow is the “zero kilometer”, all roads lead here;
• tourist center of the country;
• the capital is one of the top five cities in the world in terms of the number of dollar billionaires living there.

Petrograd, also known as Leningrad or St. Petersburg in short, is located along the sovereign course of the Neva River and its coastal granite. Many poems have been written about the beautiful city located between Ladoga and the Neva Bay of the Gulf of Finland, near the Baltic Sea. This big city is shrouded in secrets and legends. Walking along its streets, you walk along the streets of Dostoevsky, Gogol or Tsvetaeva. Populationis 5,225,690 people with a population density of 3,631 people. per square kilometer with a total area of ​​the city of 1439 km².

Ten facts about St. Petersburg:

• northern Venice is the second name of the northern capital due to the huge number of large and small rivers, tributaries and canals and the similarity with Venetian streets;
• St. Petersburg is listed in the Red Book for the total length of tram tracks within the city - 600 kilometers;
• the deepest metro in the world, the depth of some stations reaches 80 meters;
• “White Nights” is one of the main attractions that attracts tourists to the cultural capital;
• in St. Petersburg there is the tallest cathedral in Russia - the Peter and Paul Cathedral, whose spire height is 122.5 meters;
• The Hermitage is a world-famous museum that attracts tourists from all over the world, its corridors are 20 kilometers long, and a tourist who wants to get acquainted with all the exhibits of the museum will need several years to complete this mission;
• The question that every tourist in the city asks is what is the total number of bridges in St. Petersburg? 447, this is the number in the register of the Mostotrest company, which services the city’s bridges;
• Peterhof is an engineering marvel. Fountain Park, which was laid out in the times of Peter the Great, but to this day none of the fountains has a pumping installation, but only a carefully designed pipeline;
• Peter “chooses” residents for himself, and not the resident chooses him. Not every person can withstand the damp and humid climate of the city, which is at times very gray and foggy;
• The architecture of St. Petersburg is similar to the architecture of neighboring countries of the European Union - Tallinn on the Estonian side and Helsinki on the Finnish side.

3. Novosibirsk

The city was awarded last place in the top three most populated cities in Russia. It is the center of Siberian industry and trade, research and educational activities, cultural, business and tourism spheres of the district. The Siberian capital is home to 1,584,138 people, while the city area is only 505 km².

Novosibirsk is a city with a very developed infrastructure and economy, and it is a point of attraction for those migrating from nearby cities, regions, republics and even neighboring states.

Five interesting facts about Novosibirsk:

• The longest metro bridge is located in the capital of the Siberian Federal District;
• the Opera and Ballet Theater in Novosibirsk is a theatrical building that is the first largest in Russia and the second in the world;
• Planning Street is both parallel and perpendicular to itself, forming 2 intersections;
• the only museum of the Sun in Russia is located in the city;
• Novosibirsk Akademgorodok is a large educational and research center in the Siberian Federal District.

4. Ekaterinburg

Ekaterinburg, formerly Sverdlovsk, ranks 4th among Russian cities with a population exceeding one million people (1,444,439 people with a total city area of ​​1,142 square kilometers). The Trans-Siberian Railway and six major highways pass through this huge transport and sorting center, which occupies a huge niche in Russian logistics. Yekaterinburg is an industrial city with developed industry in a variety of fields, from optical-mechanical to light and food industries.

5. Nizhny Novgorod

Gorky until 1990, or “Nizhny” in common parlance, was a million-plus city and an auto giant in the Volga Federal District. Founded during the time of Prince Yuri Vsevolodovich, Nizhny Novgorod, spread on both sides of the Oka River, today has a population of 1,266,871 people and is the fifth largest city in Russia. The city's area is only 410 km², but a large seaport, Russia's largest automobile manufacturing plant, a concern engaged in the manufacture and production of military equipment, an aircraft plant and a shipbuilding plant are concentrated here. In addition to its industrial development, Nizhny Novgorod is famous for its Kremlin and extraordinary architecture. This is a wonderful city for tourism. Even the most experienced traveler will be delighted with the beauty of Nizhny Novgorod.

The city has an area of ​​425 square kilometers with a population of 1,216,965 people and a population density of 2,863 people per square kilometer. The capital of Tatarstan has its own Kremlin and a fairly rich architectural heritage, which encourages tourism among Russians and foreign residents. Kazan is not just a beautiful and large city, but also a center of international trade and economics, education, tourism with an interesting historical past.

The population of Chelyabinsk is 1,191,994 people per 530 square kilometers, which in terms of density is 2,379 people per square kilometer. “The Harsh City,” as it is jokingly called, has a lot of funny stories and facts: the meteorological Hyperion brick, Kaganovichgrad, the forest in the city center, the Chelyabinsk meteorite, Stalin in the Chelyabinsk prison... Are you interested? Then it's time to go to Chelyabinsk on an excursion!

An important and fairly large industrial and transport center, where a well-known oil refinery is located both in Russia and abroad. The significant city of Omsk is also for tourists: the Assumption Cathedral for foreigners is included in the list of “main attractions in the world”, and the Vatican includes the Okunevsky Sanctuary among the holy places of world significance. The population of the administrative center-capital of the Omsk region is 1,178,079, while the area of ​​Omsk is only 572.9,572 km².

The millionaire city, which previously had the name Kuibyshev, is known for its historically important places that have become attractions: the Iversky Convent, the Lutheran Church, the Catholic Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Cathedral Square - now Kuibyshev Square - the first in size in Europe and the fifth in the world. Every year, hundreds of thousands of residents of the country come here to the Grushinsky Festival of Bard Song. A population of 1,170,910 people lives in the city, whose area is 382 sq. km.

10. Rostov-on-Don

Rostov, popularly called “Rostov-papa”, is a city of federal significance in the south of Russia. It is big, beautiful, noisy. The phrase “Rostov-papa, Odessa-mama” often hurts the ear - this is a historically established expression - both cities were criminal capitals competing with each other. With a rather small city area of ​​348 square kilometers, the population of Rostov is 1,119,875 people. and ranks 10th in the ranking of the largest cities in Russia by population.

Most of Russia's population is concentrated in cities. In total there are more than 1,100 thousand of them with official status. But only 160 of them have a population of more than 100,000 people. And a tenth of them - 15 of them - are millionaires, that is, they are home to more than one, but less than two million people. The two capitals - Moscow and St. Petersburg - are multi-million cities, that is, they are home to more than two million people. But not only these, but also other largest cities in Russia deserve a special story.

Moscow

Moscow is the capital of Russia, today and in some other periods of the country's history. It is the largest populated area in the world and one of the largest in the world. Now about 12 million people live in it, and the total agglomeration, including the suburbs, is even more - 15 million people. The total area is about 250 square kilometers. This means that the population density is 4823 people per square kilometer. It is difficult to say when this city was founded, but the first mentions of it date back to the beginning of the 12th century.

Moscow is a multinational city. In total, about 90% of its population, according to official data, are Russians. About 1.5% are Ukrainians, the same amount are Tatars, and slightly less are Armenians. Half a percent each - Belarusians, Azerbaijanis, Georgians. Dozens more nationalities have smaller diasporas. And although representatives of different nationalities do not always get along peacefully, Moscow has become a real home for millions of people.

St. Petersburg is often called the second capital of Russia, the northern or cultural capital, and so on. It also has many beautiful names and epithets - northern Palmyra, northern Venice. And although the population of this city is significantly inferior to Moscow (5 million versus 12), as well as its age (3 centuries versus 9), in terms of fame and significance for the country, St. Petersburg is in no way inferior to it. It is also inferior in area, population density and many other parameters. But St. Petersburg is one of the “longest cities” - it “embraces” the Gulf of Finland.

It is worth noting that St. Petersburg is unique in many ways. Of all the cities that are not the capital, it has the second largest number of inhabitants. During the years that this city was the capital of the empire, it became the most important for world culture. The Hermitage, Russian Museum, St. Isaac's Cathedral, Peterhof, Kunstkamera - this is only a small part of its attractions.

The list of the largest settlements in the country continues with Novosibirsk - the administrative center of the Siberian Federal District, the most populated city in the northern part of the country. It is also a business, trade, industrial, cultural and scientific center not only of Siberia, but of all of Russia.

Novosibirsk has a million population, but it is home to significantly fewer people than the previous two cities - “only” a little more than one and a half million. At the same time, it must be taken into account that Novosibirsk was founded relatively recently - in 1893. This city is distinguished from others by its rather harsh climate with sharp transitions. In winter, temperatures can reach 50 degrees, while in summer the temperatures sometimes rise to 35 degrees. The total temperature difference throughout the year can reach a record 88 degrees.

Yekaterinburg is considered not only one of the largest cities in the country, but also one of the most comfortable and comfortable for living. It is the center of the Ural Federal District and is often called the capital of the Urals.

Ekaterinburg can be classified as one of the oldest cities in the country. After all, it was founded in 1723 and was named in honor of Empress Catherine the First. In Soviet times it was renamed Sverdlovsk, but in 1991 it returned its name.

This is the case when Veliky Novgorod, older and more titled, is significantly inferior to its younger namesake - Nizhny Novgorod. Residents of Russia often simply call him Nizhny, for brevity and not to confuse him with the Great.

The city was founded in 1221 and during this time became the administrative center of the Nizhny Novgorod Federal District, a major economic, industrial and cultural center, home to 1,200 thousand people.

Kazan is the sixth city in the ranking in terms of population, but in many ways it surpasses even larger settlements. No wonder it is called the third capital of Russia and even registered this brand officially. It also has several unofficial titles, for example, “The capital of all Tatars of the world” or “the capital of Russian federalism.”

This city with more than a thousand years of history was founded in 1005 and recently celebrated such a major anniversary. It is interesting that the population decline, which affected almost all cities, even many million-plus cities, did not affect Kazan, and it continues to increase its population. The national composition is also noteworthy - almost equally Russians and Tatars, approximately 48% each, as well as a few Chuvash, Ukrainians and Mari.

This city is familiar to many from the song “Ah, Samara-town”. But they forget that in terms of size this “town” ranks seventh in terms of population. If we talk about the agglomeration, then it is much larger than many other cities, and has 2.5 million residents, which is the third largest in the country, after Moscow and St. Petersburg.

Samara was founded in 1586 as a guard fortress by decree of Tsar Feodor. The location of the city turned out to be successful, and the city grew every year. During the Soviet years it was renamed Kuibyshev, but then the original name was returned.

The Internet is full of jokes about the harshest city in the country. A new round was opened by the fall of a meteorite, which occurred right in its center. But not everyone knows that this city is the most compact metropolis in the country, one of the leading metallurgical centers, and a city with excellent roads. In addition, it is among the TOP 15 cities in Russia in terms of living standards, TOP 20 in terms of environmental development, and TOP 5 in terms of the number of new buildings put into operation. It even ranks first in terms of housing affordability. And all this concerns the “harsh” Chelyabinsk.

It is worth noting that the city continues to develop. Until recently, it occupied ninth place in the ranking, and now it has risen to eighth with a population of 1,170 thousand people. Its national composition is quite diverse. The majority - 86% - are Russians, another 5% are Tatars, 3% are Bashkirs, 1.5% are Ukrainians, 0.6% are Germans, and so on.

Omsk is the ninth most populous city in the Russian Federation, but it was not always this way. When the small fortress was founded in 1716, only a few thousand people lived in it. But now there are more than 1,166 thousand of them. But, unlike many other millionaire cities, the Omsk agglomeration is extremely small - only about 20 thousand.

Like many other cities in Russia, representatives of a wide variety of nationalities live here. Most of all, of course, are Russians - 89%, another 3.5 are Kazakhs, 2% each are Ukrainians and Tatars, 1.5% are Germans.

Rostov-on-Don, like Nizhny Novgorod, which we talked about above, has its own “namesake” - Veliky Rostov. But Veliky is significantly inferior to it in size: Rostov-on-Don, although ranked last, is included in the TOP 10 largest cities in Russia. Veliky has only about 30 thousand inhabitants, although it is several times older than it.

Now you know what the largest city in Russia is, where it is located and how many people live in it. But in addition to the ten listed in the country, there are five more million-plus cities: Ufa, Krasnoyarsk, Perm, Vladimir and Voronezh. The rest are trying very hard to be included in this prestigious list, and some may soon succeed.

The population of modern Russia lives mainly in cities. In pre-revolutionary Russia, the rural population predominated; today the urban population dominates (73%, 108.1 million people). Right up Until 1990, Russia experienced a constant increase in urban population, contributing to the rapid increase in its share in the country's population. If in 1913 urban residents accounted for only 18%, in 1985 - 72.4%, then in 1991 their number reached 109.6 million people (73.9%).

The main source of the steady growth of the urban population during the Soviet period was the influx of rural residents into cities due to redistribution between and agriculture. An important role in ensuring high rates of annual growth of the urban population is played by the transformation of some rural settlements into urban ones with a change in their functions. To a much lesser extent, the country's urban population grew due to the natural increase in urban population.

Since 1991 for the first time in many decades in Russia the urban population began to decline. In 1991, the urban population decreased by 126 thousand people, in 1992 - by 752 thousand people, in 1993 - by 549 thousand people, in 1994 - by 125 thousand people, in 1995 . - for 200 thousand people. Thus, for 1991-1995. the reduction amounted to 1 million 662 thousand people. As a result, the share of the country's urban population decreased from 73.9 to 73.0%, but by 2001 it rose to 74% with an urban population of 105.6 million people.

The largest absolute reduction in the urban population occurred in Central (387 thousand people). Far Eastern (368 thousand people) and West Siberian (359 thousand people) regions. The Far Eastern (6.0%), Northern (5.0%) and Western Siberian (3.2%) regions are leading in terms of the rate of reduction. In the Asian part of the country, the absolute losses of the urban population as a whole are greater than in the European part (836 thousand people, or 3.5%, compared to 626 thousand people, or 0.7%).

The trend towards an increase in the share of the urban population continued until 1995 only in the Volga, Central Black Earth, Ural, North Caucasus and Volga-Vyatka regions, and in the last two regions the increase in urban population in 1991-1994. was minimal.

Basic reasons for the decline in urban population in Russia:

• the changed ratio of migration flows arriving in and leaving urban settlements;
• a reduction in the number of urban-type settlements in recent years (in 1991 their number was 2204; by the beginning of 1994 - 2070; 2000 - 1875; 2005-1461; 2008 - 1361);
• negative natural population growth.

In Russia, it left its mark not only on the ratio of urban and rural populations in a territorial context, but also on the structure of urban settlements.

Population of Russian cities

A city in Russia can be considered a settlement whose population exceeds 12 thousand people and more than 85% of the population of which is employed in non-agricultural production. Cities are distinguished by function: industrial, transport, scientific centers, resort cities. Based on population, cities are divided into small (up to 50 thousand people), medium (50-100 thousand people), large (100-250 thousand people), large (250-500 thousand people), largest (500 thousand people). - 1 million people) and millionaire cities (population over 1 million people). G.M. Lappo distinguishes the category of semi-medium cities with a population of 20 to 50 thousand people. The capitals of republics, territories and regions perform several functions - they are multifunctional cities.

Before the Great Patriotic War, there were two millionaire cities in Russia; in 1995, their number increased to 13 (Moscow, St. Petersburg, Nizhny Novgorod, Novosibirsk, Kazan, Volgograd, Omsk, Perm, Rostov-on-Don, Samara, Yekaterinburg, Ufa, Chelyabinsk).

Currently (2009) there are 11 millionaire cities in Russia (Table 2).

A number of the largest cities in Russia with a population of more than 700 thousand, but less than 1 million - Perm, Volgograd, Krasnoyarsk, Saratov, Voronezh, Krasnodar, Tolyatti - are sometimes called sub-millionaire cities. The first two of these cities, which were once millionaires, as well as Krasnoyarsk, are often called millionaires in journalism and semi-officially.

Most of them (except Tolyatti and partly Volgograd and Saratov) are also interregional centers of socio-economic development and attraction.

More than 40% of the population lives in large cities of Russia. Multifunctional cities are growing very quickly, satellite cities appear next to them, forming urban agglomerations.

Millionaire cities are the centers of urban agglomerations, which additionally characterize the population and importance of the city (Table 3).

Despite the advantages of large cities, their growth is limited, as difficulties arise in providing cities with water and housing, supplying a growing population, and preserving green areas.

Rural population of Russia

Rural settlement is the distribution of residents among settlements located in rural areas. In this case, rural areas are considered to be all areas located outside urban settlements. At the beginning of the 21st century. in Russia there are approximately 150 thousand rural settlements, in which about 38.8 million people live (2002 census data). The main difference between rural settlements and urban ones is that their residents are primarily engaged in agriculture. In fact, in modern Russia, only 55% of the rural population is engaged in agriculture, the remaining 45% work in industry, transport, non-production and other “urban” sectors of the economy.

The nature of the settlement of the rural population of Russia varies among natural zones depending on the conditions of economic activity, national traditions and customs of the peoples living in those regions. These are villages, villages, hamlets, auls, temporary settlements of hunters and reindeer herders, etc. The average rural population density in Russia is approximately 2 people/km 2 . The highest density of the rural population is noted in the south of Russia in the Ciscaucasia (Krasnodar Territory - more than 64 people/km 2).

Rural settlements are classified depending on their size (population) and functions performed. The average size of a rural settlement in Russia is 150 times smaller than a city settlement. The following groups of rural settlements are distinguished by size:

• smallest (up to 50 inhabitants);
• small (51-100 inhabitants);
• medium (101-500 inhabitants);
• large (501-1000 inhabitants);
• the largest (over 1000 inhabitants).

Almost half (48%) of all rural settlements in the country are small, but they are home to 3% of the rural population. The largest share of rural residents (almost half) live in the largest settlements. Rural settlements in the North Caucasus are especially large in size, where they stretch for many kilometers and number up to 50 thousand inhabitants. The share of the largest settlements in the total rural population is constantly increasing. In the 90s of the XX century. settlements of refugees and temporary migrants have appeared, cottage and holiday villages are expanding in the suburbs of large cities.

By functional type, the overwhelming majority of rural settlements (more than 90%) are agricultural. Most non-agricultural settlements are transport (near railway stations) or recreational (near sanatoriums, rest homes, other institutions), also industrial, logging, military, etc.

Within the agricultural type, settlements are distinguished:

• with significant development of administrative, service and distribution functions (district centers);
• with local administrative and economic functions (centers of rural administrations and central estates of large agricultural enterprises);
• with the presence of large agricultural production (crop crews, livestock farms);
• without production enterprises, with the development of only private farming.

At the same time, the size of settlements naturally decreases from rural regional centers (which are the largest) to settlements without industrial enterprises (which, as a rule, are small and minute).

Large ones became even larger, small ones shredded - the main trend the last decade.
Population of big cities (with a population of more than 100,000 people in 2017) in total, over 10 years it grew by 5.50 million people, incl. million-plus cities by 3.24 million people. Growth was observed in 115 of 170 large cities, incl. in all million-plus cities (except Nizhny Novgorod) and in all half-million-plus cities (except Novokuznetsk). On average, cities with a population of more than 250 thousand people, and these are mostly regional centers, have grown by 8-10% over 10 years.
Second/third cities with a population of 50 to 250 thousand people. - in some regions there was growth, especially if these were the suburbs of the largest cities, in others there was an active decline.
Small and medium-sized cities (842 cities) collectively had a population decline of 1 million people. Among them the decline was observed in 721 cities . And the smaller the city, the more intense the population decline. Among cities with a population of less than 5 thousand people. the average decline was 14.5% (!) and was observed in almost all cities except Ladushkin (Kaliningrad region).

Figure 1. Population dynamics of city groups by population in 2007-2017. (V %)

In absolute terms leaders in population growth in Russia in 2007-2017. wereMoscow(+1,289 thousand people), Saint Petersburg(+701 thousand people) and Novosibirsk(+210 thousand people). From 100 to 200 thousand inhabitants added Tyumen, Krasnodar, Voronezh, Kazan, Ekaterinburg, Chelyabinsk, Krasnoyarsk, Makhachkala, Balashikha. Collectively, these 12 cities grew their population by 3.57 million. or almost 80% of the total increase in the population of the country's cities.
Over the past 10 years, there have been 4 more millionaire cities in Russia . And if Perm and Volgograd regained the status of megacities, thenVoronezh and Krasnoyarsk it was received for the first time and was significantly ahead in growth rates of most millionaire cities. The population of St. Petersburg exceeded 5 million people., the population of Novosibirsk became more than 1.5 million people, and the population of Kirov for the first time reached 0.5 million people.
In relative terms should be divided into large and large and small on the one hand and small and medium on the other.

BIG cities
Among 170 large cities in Russia, 115 cities' population grew by more than 10%, and in 22 cities by more than 20%. It grew most actively in the cities of the Moscow region, in selected regional centers (Tyumen, Voronezh, Yakutsk, Krasnodar, Stavropol, Ulan-Ude, Grozny),cities in large urban agglomerations(Essentuki, Bataysk, Kaspiysk) and individual subregional centers (Sochi and Surgut).
The most outstanding growth was shown by the large satellite cities of Moscow - Krasnogorsk, Balashikha and Domodedovo, whose population has grown by almost half in ten years u. Of the regional centers, Tyumen had the greatest increase, the number of residents of which increased by more than a third from 550 to 745 thousand inhabitants. Among millionaire cities, the number of residents increased most in Voronezh - by 24% from 841 to 1040 thousand people , but about half of this increase was due to the annexation of suburban communities into the city in 2010, which de facto merged with the city. A similar situation occurred in Ulan-Ude, where in 2009 more than 60 thousand residents were added due to the annexation of numerous suburban villages.

Table 3 Large cities with the highest population growth rates in 2007-2017

Outsiders in absolute terms steel Nalchik and Norilsk , having lost 31 thousand inhabitants each. The population of Nizhny Novgorod, Tula, Nizhny Tagil, Taganrog, Komsomolsk-on-Amur, Shakhty, Dzerzhinsk, Bratsk, Orsk, Angarsk, Biysk, Prokopyevsk, Rybinsk, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Kamensk-Uralsky, Zlatoust has decreased by more than 10,000 people. Rubtsovsk, Bereznikov, Maykop, Kovrov, Novomoskovsk, Nevinnomyssk. Dimitrovgrad, Nazran, Murom, Kiselevsk, Kansk, Novotroitsa, Ust-Ilimsk, Novouralsk, Balashov, Kirovo-Chepetsk, Anzhero-Sunzhensk, Vorkuta. In totalthe population of these 39 cities decreased by 640 thousand people. For the most part, these are industrial “second” cities of the regions, most are located in the Urals, Siberia and the Far East.
In relative terms, outsiders Among large cities, it is worth recognizing those 34 cities that lost more than 5% of the population, which, given the relatively favorable situation with natural movement in the last 10 years, meant the presence of a stable migration outflow in them. The list mostly consists of second/third cities in their regions , large industrial centers in the past and present, through which the population of the growing regional center was fed. There are few regional centers - these are the “northern” coastal Murmansk and Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, as well as the southern and relatively sparsely populated Maykop and Nalchik, which lost residents due to the outflow of Russians, as well as Nazran, whose population was adjusted according to the 2010 census. Norilsk lost the most , which is understandable in the context of declining employment at Norilsk Nickel due to the growing automation of labor and Berezniki, where active population decline has less justification (no people died in the famous sinkholes in this city in 2006 and 2010).

Table 4 Large cities with the highest rates of population decline in 2007-2017.

SMALL and MEDIUM Cities
Among small and medium-sized cities, only 34 cities had growth of more than 20%. Of these, the absolute leaders were Magas , where the number of residents increased 23 times, incl. and due to the low base effect (in 2007 the city had only 334 inhabitants) andKotelniki in the Moscow region, where the population increased by 2.3 times.
Over the past 10 years, Kotelniki has become a testing ground for endless housing construction. , as well as the creation of new shopping centers. The city has 5 residential buildings with more than 30 floors, several dozen 20-27 floors, which is more than in most million-plus cities in Russia. At the same time, the road network and social infrastructure were practically not developed.Kotelniki and Balashikha - two apotheoses of urban planning madness in modern Russia. The volume of facilities under construction in Kotelniki and the occupancy of those already built is designed for more than 100,000 people.

Table 5 Small and medium-sized cities with the highest population growth rates in 2007-2017.

The number of residents in Zvenigorod (a number of high-rise microdistricts have been built in a small city), inKhanty-Mansiysk(a systematically rapidly developing city) and Vsevolozhsk(a conglomerate city east of St. Petersburg, where significant housing construction was carried out).
The list of growth leaders (+20% over 10 years) notes satellite towns of large cities where development projects were implemented (Mikhailovsk, Sosnovoborsk, Nikolskoye, Sertolovo, Aksai, Kommunar, Guryevsk).Almost all medium-sized cities in the near Moscow region grew in the Moscow agglomeration(Ivanteevka, Dzerzhinsky, Lobnya, Reutov, Vidnoye, Bronnitsy, Krasnoznamensk). Small administrative centers of the North also experienced active growth(Salekhard, Khanty-Mansiysk, Naryan-Mar and Anadyr). A separate group consists of cities in the republics of the North Caucasus, where the increase was ensured both by natural increase and probably by migration from villages to these relatively small centers (Argun, Urus-Martan, Izberbash). Resort cities also showed an increase in population, incl. coastal, southern (Anapa, Geledzhik, Goryachiy Klyuch, Zelenogradsk). Pleasant exceptions are a small group of cities that have grown due to internal factors, primarily economic development, implementation of investment projects - Dubna, Gubkinsky and Tsiolkovsky.
35 small and medium-sized cities had a decline of more than 20%, which means a 2-3 times excess of migration outflow over natural decline . The maximum reduction was noted in the city of Ostrovnoy in the Murmansk region (2.2 times from 4.4 to 1.9 thousand people). Ostrovnoy is one of the most inaccessible cities in Russia, communication with which is only possible by sea and helicopters. The dismantling of the naval base in the city will likely lead to its complete resettlement in the coming years. The population of a number of northern cities decreased by more than a third - Nevelsk, Shakhtersk and Igarka. Nevelsk on Sakhalin, despite restoration work, was never able to recover from the earthquake of 2007; Shakhtersk, also on Sakhalin, is becoming depopulated due to a reduction in coal production (at the end of 2016 it was also deprived of its city status (which Rosstat does not know about)). Igarka (Krasnoyarsk Territory) is in a long depression due to the lack of economy. The population of Igarka has decreased by 4 times over 30 years - an absolute record in Russia.
Among the cities of the main settlement zone, the very large decline in the permanent population in Plyos is depressing (which according to the 2010 census was the city with the oldest and most female population in Russia). The mortality rate in Plyos in 2016 exceeded the birth rate by 6 times (4.8‰ and 28.0‰, respectively). Another leader isYuryevets(Ivanovo region) - a beautiful ancient city on the Volga is becoming depopulated before our eyes due to the huge natural and migration loss.
In general, the group with the maximum population decline included either very small cities in Central Russia with a very aged population , which have been decreasing for many decades in a row (Porkhov, Demidov, Puchezh, Kozlovka, Opochka, Vesyegonsk, etc.), or single-industry towns, especially in the North , where it was not possible to restart the local economy - Udachny, Vuktyl, Kedrovy, Susuman, Nikolaevsk-on-Amur, Inta, Okha. Stands out against their background with its size.Vorkuta, whose population has decreased by almost a quarter and continues to decline as planned. Depression is a concern expressed in the massive outflow of the population in relatively large cities - settlement centers with an advantageous geographical location - Nikolaevsk-on-Amur, Kirov (Kaluga region), Raichikhinsk.

Table 6 Small and medium-sized cities with the highest rates of population decline in 2007-2017.