Internal Contrasts of Population Mobility in the Regions of the Russian Near North (Yaroslavl, Kostroma, and Vologda Oblasts): A Time-Geographic Approach

Researchers of migration processes in the regions of Russia usually focus on one population mobility type or their large classes. At the same time, migration flows do not exist in isolation, they change the population of the territory simultaneously, but the contribution of each flow is different. For some areas, the outflow or inflow of population is important during resettlements between cities and rural areas and between regions, for others the inflow or outflow of seasonal workers for a relatively long period, daily labor commuting or recreational migration are important. The power of the flows depends on the size of the settlements of departure or arrival of migrants, on the state of their economy and social sphere, on the infrastructure development, etc. The aim of the article is to propose and test the methodology for comparing population mobility types at the intraregional level, to determine the contribution of various types of population spatial mobility to the formation and smoothing of intraregional territorial contrasts in the living standards and socioeconomic development using the cases of three regions of the Near North of Russia–Yaroslavl, Kostroma and Vologda oblasts, and to determine the features of migration processes inherent in these territories. An effective tool for achieving this goal is the calculation of a special indicator of the population activity density. It allows us to compare migration flows whose data are not comparable in pure form. The calculation is carried out within the framework of the time-geographic approach, taking into account the actual number of man-hours per year lived by permanent and temporary population in the territory. It is shown that in Yaroslavl oblast the contrasts are associated with center-periphery gradients. Cities of Yaroslavl and Rybinsk organize rural areas around themselves, with the proximity to major roads and Moscow playing an important role. In Kostroma oblast the influence of the regional center weakens towards the periphery, and in the northeast, the natural factor is manifested, there denser rural population has been preserved. In Vologda oblast, the territorial organization of space is more influenced by temporary mobility, which is manifested in the formation of large zones of increased density of temporary population around cities of Vologda and Cherepovets.