Describe the impact of the Soviet era on urbanization in the Russian Domain. Proceed to discuss the changes in urban patterns since the end of Soviet era for the Russian Domain.

Question

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Answer 1

Marxist philosophy promoted urbanization and the region went from largely rural to largely urban in fifty years. Soviet planners emphasized the efficiency in clustering populations in urban areas. Industrialization in the region was also closely connected to urbanization. Cities were strictly planned by the government. Cities were designed for different purposes ? some for specific industries or others as administrative centers. The Soviets also built mikrorayans which were urban high-rise apartment blocks located on the fringes of cities, where schools, industries and shopping centers were located to create a miniature of an urban community on the fringe of the city. After the end of the Soviet Union, people could move freely between cities and regions and many former industrial cities were largely abandoned. Many older industrial areas have become depopulated in the new era while large urban areas such as Moscow and St. Petersburg have swelled with population.