Regional aspect of Russian foreign trade in the context of geopolitical challenges

The paper discusses and compares the features of foreign trade activity of Russia as a whole and the subjects of the Russian Federation as illustrated by the Ural regions, including the Sverdlovsk region, in current geopolitical conditions. Comparative analysis of dynamics of development of foreign trade in these regions was carried out. Through the example of the Sverdlovsk region, the authors put forward and prove the hypothesis that the emphasis in foreign economic activity has shifted from federal to regional levels, taking into account the intensification of activities by the subjects of the Russian Federation to implement their constitutional and legislative powers in performing international and foreign economic relations. The issues of influence of international congress and exhibition activities on development of international and foreign economic relations, increase of volume of foreign trade and investment attractiveness, and improvement of image of the territory under analysis were investigated. The conclusions and results of the study explain the link between the efficiency of the social and economic development of the Federation subject and the state of development of infrastructure of international and foreign economic relations in the region and the results of its foreign economic, international congress, and exhibition activities.