Multiscalar entanglements in the post-socialist city: monotown restructuring, spatial re-ordering and urban inequality in Russia

Abstract

Monotowns in Russia epitomize the mixed history of Soviet industrialized urbanization and post-soviet transformation. The 2007-8 global financial crisis magnified socio-economic problems in these cities. In spite of the deepened neoliberal urbanization observed across post-socialist cities and the global impetus of the crisis, monotowns were typically discussed within a national political framework. Our point of departure is that the monotown is an instructive site in which to explore the conundrum of global-local interconnections. To develop this argument, we conceptualize multiscalar entanglements as a base to combine analytical attention to subjective narratives with an interest in (global) structuring forces. We use this to empirically examine logics of spatial re-ordering in Russian monotowns in two analytical steps: First, we observe how federal policy introduced in response to the global crisis redefined monotowns from being territories of "crisis" and "risk" into those that offered spaces of development. Second, we focus on a particular study-site, the city of Zapolyarny and explain how the city-forming enterprise has initiated a reconstruction of the city. We find that the enterprise has reemerged as an urban governing body. In conclusion, we draw attention to emerging trends in urban inequality and insecurity constituted by these logics of spatial reordering.

Ulikhet, marginalisering og politikk: erfaringer fra russiske monobyer

“…Det å studere puslespillet av endringer i monobyer er omfattende. Vi har undersøkt den politiske diskursen og hvordan monobyer ble satt på dagsorden (Stuvøy & Shirobokova, 2021). Samtidig har vi gått ut over slike diskurser og undersøkt erfaringer med endringer i konkrete byer.…”

Challenges and potential of monotowns: a systematic literature review

“…Keeling (2010) Cases from diverse geographical locations, including Canada, Russia, the United States, and Italy, provide a global perspective on single-industry towns. Key themes emerge, such as the importance of understanding historical traditions (Solecki, 1996), the dynamics surrounding mobile workforces (Ryser et al, 2020), the impact of branding strategies on company and community identities (Scott & Bennett, 2015), and the potential consequences for urban inequality and insecurity (Stuvøy & Shirobokova, 2022). This cluster, through its varied perspectives, underscores the necessity for adaptability and resilience in single-industry towns facing economic, social, and environmental changes.…”