Why would it Make Sense to Transfer Some of the Capital’s Functions to Siberian Cities

Abstract

The paper explores the spatial development strategy of the Russian Federation in the context of current geopolitical and geoeconomic changes. Drawing on historical, military-political, cultural-civilizational, and geoeconomic factors, the author argues for the feasibility of transferring some of the capital’s functions to Siberian cities and the eventual construction of a new capital in Siberia as a key condition for shifting the country’s economic center of gravity eastward. Particular attention is paid to the role of Siberia as a new hub for the development of Russian statehood, capable of ensuring better economic integration of the country with Greater Eurasia and strengthening its position in the Asia-Pacific region, where the new center of global economic activity and technological development is located. In the author’s view, the transfer of capital functions to key Siberian cities, as well as the initiation of a broad public discussion on the prospect of building Russia’s third capital near the country’s geographic center, could serve as a catalyst for the comprehensive development of Siberia, the Far East, and the Arctic, contribute to forming a new administrative culture, and lay the foundation for a “social contract” that will determine the direction of Russia’s development for centuries to come.