Population and regions in the strategy for the country spatial development

The article focuses on the analysis of the methodology and content of the Strategy for Spatial Development of the Russian Federation until 2025. Particular attention is paid to the task set in the Strategy to improve the population settlement system and to reflection of regional issues in it. The orientation of the Strategy on large cities is in conflict with the objectives of the national project «Demography». Pulling the population into large cities makes it difficult to achieve the target indicator «Increase in the total fertility rate to 1.7 per woman by 2024». For the Strategy of spatial development, whose task was proclaimed to improve the system of population settlement, the problem of its reproduction and placement is far from an idle question. Nevertheless, in the Strategy this issue does not go beyond the framework of duty generalizations, which proclaim a differentiated approach to the directions and measures of the State support for the socio-economic development of territories, taking into account the demographic situation, characteristics of the settlement system, level and dynamics of the economic development and specifics of the environmental conditions. And the thesis formulated in the Strategy: «Stabilization of the population in most constituent entities of the Russian Federation», in fact, has no foundation. In 2005-2018 two thirds of the regions (67.1%) were losing their population. Analysis of the place and role in the Strategy of the region taken as an example (Komi Republic) shows that, in comparison with most other subjects of the Federation, quite a lot of attention and place is given to this republic. It is described as a part of the Northern macroregion, the economic specialization of the republic is indicated there, its capital - the city of Syktyvkar is represented among the promising economic centers, a number of municipal entities of the republic are identified as mineral resource centers, and the city of Vorkuta is presented as a part of the priority geostrategic territories of the Arctic zone. And this is quite understandable. The spatial development of the country is primarily oriented to the North and East.