Moscow Oblast: Territorial Structure of Post-Soviet Transformations

The article, written for the anniversary of G.M. Lappo, is dedicated to Moscow oblast as one of his key regions. The influence of Moscow on the territory of the oblast is considered, including according to cellular operator data. The emphasis is on the change in territorial structures of Moscow oblast based on a multiscale approach and detailed statistical data. It is shown that in the post-Soviet period, with the development of high-speed transport, the areal size of the Moscow urban agglomeration has continued to expand. With the increased volume of labor commuting migration, the scale of seasonal pulsations of the borders and population of this agglomeration has been determined. It is shown that second-order agglomerations retain their role as local centers of attraction. Multidirectional territorial shifts in population, industry, agriculture, trade, and services over the past 30 years have been identified. In the 1990s, the highest concentration was typical for industry; by 2020, it became the lowest. Retail trade and services have taken the lead, especially near the Moscow Ring Road, where demand on the part of the growing population of the capital merges with the regional. Previously dispersed agriculture is also concentrated in association with its transition to the industrial path of development within the framework of large enterprises, which does not cancel the development of small-scale farming and expansion of dacha land use. Multiscale territorial and sectoral shifts are revealed both when comparing Moscow oblast with Moscow, and when analyzing the distribution of types of structures (agrarian, industrial, service). The directions of these shifts are shown for several intervals between 1990 and 2020. The potential of Moscow oblast, comparable to St. Petersburg, is the result not only and not so much of its removal from Moscow, but the attraction of the population and activity to it. However, in construction, trade, logistics and, especially, dacha booms signs of a wider spread are visible, partly confirming Lappo’s vision in which the growth of Moscow oblast “from the city” alternates and is combined with growth “from the region.”