What Is Happening to the Rural Population in Russia's Near North?

This article analyzes sociodemographic processes in rural districts of Russia's Near North, primarily Kostroma oblast, which is representative of the region. Attention is focused on analyzing the mechanisms and assessing the scale of depopulation processes, in which high mortality among the working-age population, migration of the young and middle-aged to cities, and an imbalance in the age and sex composition—a predominantly elderly population and a small proportion of children—all prove to be contributing factors. The authors identify significant differences in demographic indicators across administrative units in Kostroma oblast and emphasize the importance of sociodemographic studies at the primary (municipal and more local) level.