Typology of rural settlements in the european part of Russia under recent demographic and socio-economic situation
During the post-Soviet period the employment in Russia's agriculture has declined sharply, many rural settlements have lost the jobs. As a result, the «residential» function common to all of them becomes the only one for an increasing number of settlements. Moreover, the processes of population aging lead to the mass emergence of settlements without employable population, the so-called «retirement villages». Increasingly widespread are «populated areas without population», and this is not an oxymoron, but really existing buildings used (at least from time to time) by the heirs of local residents. Among them are seasonally-inhabited, or recreational, settlements, which are particularly noticeable in the marginal zones of influence of large agglomerations. This situation requires the development of a new typology of settlements that reflects the current situation. It is based on the presence of permanent (or temporary) population, employable population, and jobs in the settlement. The example of European Russia shows the main structural proportions of the typology proposed by the authors, as well as the geography of some identified types of the settlements.