#10 - JRL 9132 - JRL Home
From: "Richard L. Forstall" <mzwa85a@erols.com>
Subject: JRL 9129, item 22/Local Government
Date: Tue, 26 Apr 2005 10:31:17 -0400

This item from the Moscow Times is about a current effort to redraw local administrative boundaries. I realize this topic would not appear to rank high on the priorities of most of your U.S. audience. But one possible aspect that is worth following is how the reform affects urban vs rural statistics.

The phrasing of the item is a little unclear, for example when it refers to the redrawing of "city limits" nationwide. As of 1-1-2002 there were 27,344 local administrative subdivisions in all, but only 1098 were cities (goroda) and 1850 city-type places (pgt); the other 24,396 were rural subdivisions with various labels. I think the translator used "city limits" when "local administrative limits" might have been more accurate.

If the redrawing were to add significant amounts of territory to existing cities, or create a lot of new urban places, there would be an impact on the urban population total that would not really be reflecting new urbanization. That would be significant in interpreting current population change patterns. On the other hand, if most of the redrawing is simply subdividing the existing rural units, the topic might be of interest only to the degree that it entered into national Russian politics.

If your eagle eye happens to see something clarifying on this matter I hope you'll consider including it in a future JRL.