Reducing the spatial differentiation of creative industries as a way to reduce interregional disparities

The article analyzes the opportunities for the development of creative clusters as one of the promising directions of economic diversifi cation in small and medium-sized cities of the Russian Federation and rural settlements. The relevance of the study is evidenced by the lack of a clear understanding of the way to solve the problem of forming the conditions necessary for the development of creative clusters both in highly urbanized areas and in small settlements to reduce the negative consequences of the differentiation of territories in terms of standard of living and quality of life in the previous thirty years. The aim of the study is to analyze the situation in this area and determine the conditions necessary for the establishment of an extensive network of creative clusters in the country on the territories of different hierarchical levels. To achieve the goal, we solved the following tasks: we determined specifi c features of the creative cluster, assessed the spatial differentiation of creative clusters, taking into account quantitative and spatial characteristics; identifi ed the conditions necessary to create a creative product and bring it to the market, and formed a typological matrix of spatial differentiation of creative industries in the regions of the Russian Federation as a basis for working out of strategic documents for their development. The following most important scientifi c results, which determine its scientifi c novelty and signifi cance, have been obtained within the framework of the work: 1) it has been established that the spatial differentiation of creative clusters is expressed, in particular, in their maximum concentration in Moscow and Saint Petersburg and their minimum concentration in the Southern, Far Eastern and North Caucasus federal districts; 2) a list of conditions for the creation of creative clusters has been determined; 3) a typological matrix of spatial differentiation of creative industries has been formed with the allocation of 25 groups of regions of the Russian Federation, allowing to elaborate strategic documents for the development of creative industries, specifi c to the peculiarities of this or that group of regions. The obtained conclusions can be used by public authorities to make informed decisions in the sphere of priority tasks of socio-economic development of the region, increasing its sustainability and balance.