Research of the economy of the Republic of Buryatia as a struggling region

The article presents a comprehensive analysis of the economy of the Republic of Buryatia as one of the struggling regions of Russia, investigates the fundamental economic, geopolitical and environmental problems of the republic’s development. We have carried out a comparative analysis of macroeconomic indicators of the Republic of Buryatia and 10 regions of Russia with a low level of socio-economic development, identified the natural and geographical factors that have a negative impact on the socio-economic development of Buryatia. The article considers the existing approaches to the definition of the concept of territorial depression. We have revealed stagnation and insufficiency of development resources of the Republic of Buryatia. The term "territory with special modes of activity" is introduced and characterized by environmental, administrative and other restrictions or aspects of life. The corresponding territories in Buryatia are identified and systematized. It has been established that the Republic of Buryatia is one of the most struggling regions of the Russian Federation in terms of the main aspects and is characterized as a subject of the Russian Federation with a low level of socioeconomic development, a depressed territory; a region that does not have sufficient funds for endogenous economic growth; a border region; a region with severe environmental restrictions.