Features of the Socio-Economic Development of Monotowns (the Case of the Republic of Karelia and the Leningrad Region)

The work is devoted to the analysis of the socio-economic development of monotowns of the Republic of Karelia and the Leningrad Region and the development of recommendations for the development of these depressed areas. The research focuses on the main features and characteristics of monotowns, the impact of state policy on the modernization of depressed territories, the dependence of the socio-economic situation of a monotown on its city-forming enterprise, models and examples of transformation monotowns, based on domestic and foreign experience. The results of the SWOT-analysis, comparative analysis and economic-mathematical model of the influence of endogenous and exogenous factors on the economic status of single-industry towns of the Republic of Karelia and Leningrad Region in 2013-2018 showed that the socio-economic problems of the studied areas of the region are similar. They are associated with the lack of diversification of the economy of monotowns, excessive wear of fixed assets and urban infrastructure, with the degradation of city-forming enterprises and the release of unprofitable products. In order to modernize chosen monotowns, a typical development model “Industrial Diversification” was chosen. The implementation of measures aimed at modernizing the city-forming enterprise, industrial diversification of the single-industry economy, development of small and medium-sized businesses, improving the quality of urban infrastructure and providing social guarantees will make it possible to improve the socio-economic condition of the monotowns in 3-5 years. The proposed recommendations can be the basis for their further application by municipal and regional authorities of both the subjects of the Northwestern Federal District and other subjects of the Russian Federation for the modernization of domestic monotowns.