From Siberians to Far Easterners: Wide Open is the Space and Long is the Way

Abstract

The paper reviews problems and prospects of Republic of Buryatia and development of the Trans-Baikal Territory as part of the Far Eastern Federal District. The author considers changes in the administrative and territorial status of Buryatia and Transbaikalia over the last 100 years and analyzes participation of the two regions in development programs of the Far East in the planned economy and in the post-Soviet period. A significant gap is identified between the Siberian and Far Eastern regions of Russia in the federal funding of program activities. The paper also reveals a tendency to reduce financial support for projects implemented in the Trans-Baikal regions under the federal target program for the development of the Far East. The study concerns problems and prospects of integration of both regions into the economic space of the Far East. The author identifies objective and subjective factors of the backlog of the Republic of Buryatia from the Trans-Baikal Territory in using the regime of the territory of advanced socio-economic development.