Spatial development of Russian regions: historical context

The article presents historical features of changes and development of Russia’s territory in the process of formation and expansion of the Russian Statehood in the period from 9 to 17 centuries. The work contains a number of intermediate conclusions on the topic and a brief analysis of the current state of the spatial developmentissueofthecountryasawholeanditsparticularregions. The main theoretical setting for the research is the imperative, formulated at the beginning of the 10th century and still preserved in science and social conscience; the State is the highest socio-political system appointed to protect the security, rights and freedoms, and its space is the main resource for Russia’s people surviving. The analysis of the correspondence of the main concepts and terms of the past and present periods of the Russian history was carried out, due to the fact that the topic has already been discussed, including by quoting classics’ works of historical science: V.N. Tatishchev, N.M. Karamzin, V.O. Kluchevskiy and others. As a result of comparison, it is obvious that most of the conclusions and generalizations made by these authors, with slight adjustments, including in the formulation of basic concepts and definitions, seem to be sufficiently adequate to the current ones. In the work, the author gives due attention and place to the creation of preconditions for the statehood restoration in Russia both in the Hore era and later. Moscow Principality had a special role in this process, it was the first that started accumulating the most important resources necessary for ensuring independence, security and further successful development of any state entity, it was the territorial resource. The research provides an insight into the changing international context in which Russia became an independent centralized state. “Land expansion” (regional development) is considered as one of the necessary conditions for the Russia’s socio-economic development, and, at the same time, increasing its geopolitical status which is especially typical for 17th century with its pronounced intensive nature of territorial and economic development and strengthening of the country’s geostrategic position. In conclusion, the author gives a brief description of the current situation in the Far North, Siberia, and the Far East which are characterized by a critically increasing unevenness of the regional development.