Why Russia needs a new capital. Named cities to which the authorities can move the capital of Russia In which city they want to move the capital

History does not tolerate the subjunctive mood? How to endure. Especially here, in Russia. We list the cities that could be the capital of our Motherland (and even tasted the informal capital status). If not for the circumstances...

Velikiy Novgorod

Of course, this is the first thing that comes to mind. The richest Russian city-state until the 16th century, the place where Rurik was called. It was here that “the Rus, Chud, Slovene, Krivichi and all said:“ Our land is great and plentiful, but there is no order in it. Come reign and rule over us." Actually, this would be more than enough for a claim to the all-Russian metropolitan status. However, Veliky Novgorod had other plans: the city basked in its own self-sufficiency and independence and shied away from any geopolitical games aimed at dominating the territory of the former Kievan Rus. As a result, John III came in 1478 and covered up the "feudal republic". From that moment, the city began to dive down: from the subject of world politics, Veliky Novgorod turned into a regional center and a city-museum, where there is something to show to foreigners.

In terms of age, this city could well compete with Novgorod the Great. Here, too, Rurik ruled, the inhabitants of the city actively participated in Oleg's campaigns against Tsargrad, and it was here that the seed of the future of Moscow Rus' was sown. For a long time, Rostov was the main city in North-Eastern Rus' and the largest spiritual center. However, he could not withstand the pressure of Moscow and the Danilovich dynasty. At first, Rostov was divided into two parts at the beginning of the 14th century: Borisoglebskaya and Sretenskaya (which ended up under the Moscow protectorate). The entire disloyal elite was expelled from the Moscow part. The author of The Life of Sergius of Radonezh, who, by the way, came from a Rostov boyar family, laments: “Alas, Rostov and his princes, they took power, reign, estate and glory from them.” And already John III in 1474 finally bought out the second, Borisoglebskaya, half of the city. And Rostov freely began its descent to the state of a quiet provincial town.

Vladimir

Founded at the end of the 10th century on the site of a small village of the Merya tribe, Vladimir, after a century and a half, received the status of the capital city of North-Eastern Rus'. Thanks to Prince Andrei Bogolyubsky, who in 1157 moved the capital of "the entire Suzdal land" here. But the Mongol-Tatar invasion undermined the promising development of Vladimir. Despite the conditional status of the capital, the city quickly lost its primacy. The last prince to reign directly in Vladimir was Alexander Nevsky.

At the dawn of Russian statehood, Suzdal was a very influential city. Despite the adoption of Orthodoxy, it remained one of the centers of paganism until the 12th century. It was here that the famous uprising of the Magi broke out in 1024. A little over 100 years have passed; the Magi cooled down a bit and dispersed to the nearest thickets, and Yuri Dolgoruky made Suzdal the center of the North-Eastern land. But not for long. And already in 1392, the Grand Duchy of Moscow, having swallowed up this city, finally buried the "capital" ambitions of Suzdal. But in the XVI century the city became one of the spiritual centers of the country. But also not for long. At first, Suzdal resigned itself to the status of a provincial county town, but, in our era, it took on the burden of a “historic Disneyland”.

Many lovers of antiquity dream of the capital status of this city (today, in fact, villages). However, Ladoga parted with the claim to the capital city even before the Baptism of Rus'. This city was founded by the Varangians. It was from here that the Norman colonization of the future territory of Russia began. According to one version, it was here (and not in Novgorod) that Rurik sat down to rule. In those days, Ladoga was a port city where merchant caravans gathered, furs, jewelry, weapons and slaves were traded briskly. Actually, that's all the claims to the status of the capital. Already in the 10th century, Ladoga became completely dependent on Veliky Novgorod, and in 1703 the “ancient capital of Northern Rus'” lost its city status.

Aleksandrovskaya Sloboda

This small town breathed life into the capital under Ivan the Terrible, who made it the center of his oprichnina. For more than a decade and a half, life was in full swing here: the most important political decisions were made in Sloboda, embassies of the most influential states of that time were opened, negotiations were held at the highest level. The best icon painters and architects worked in Aleksandrovskaya Sloboda; The first conservatory in Russia was founded, where, by decree of the Tsar, the best musicians and singers from all over the country were brought. The first provincial printing press in the country was also opened here, and in 1576 the “Slobodskaya Psalter” printed by Andronik Nevezha was published. It is in Sloboda that the traces of the legendary library of Grozny are lost.

But one day it all ended at once. In 1581 the tsar left for Moscow and never returned. And the city fell asleep for several centuries.

City of Kitezh

According to legend, the city was founded by Prince Vladimir Yuri Vsevolodovich on the shores of Lake Svetloyar. The city stood for 75 years before the invasion of Batu Khan. When Batu's troops approached him, then, at the prayer of the inhabitants, Kitezh disappeared. According to one version, he disappeared under the water of the lake, according to another, he simply became invisible. In Russian tradition, it was believed that the city would again become visible only with the second coming of Christ. True, there are legends that even now the true righteous can see (and even live there!) the city. For them, it is already the capital ...

There is, if not a tradition, then at least a steady trend: every few hundred years, our state changes its capital. Will it continue and which cities can claim the title of the center of the country?

Trade routes change capitals

The change of the main city, as a rule, took place against the backdrop of serious geopolitical changes. So, Veliky Novgorod can be considered the first capital of the Russian state - it was there that the Slavic tribes, according to legend, called Rurik to rule in 862. However, the city did not remain the center of Ancient Rus' for long.

Already in 882, Rurik's successor Prince Oleg settled in Kyiv. The "Mother of Russian Cities" suited the role of the capital in the best possible way: it was closer to Byzantium - the main partner of Rus', protected due to its convenient location on the banks of the Dnieper. In addition, the “Road from the Varangians to the Greeks” lay across this river - then the main trade corridor from North to South.

By the middle of the 11th century, after Kyiv became the residence of the Russian metropolitan, the institution of the capital in its modern sense was formed in the city. An important role in this was played by a long period of autocracy of the Kyiv princes. But with the onset of feudal fragmentation in Rus', and especially after falling under the Tatar-Mongol yoke, the formation of statehood stalled.

Rus', which was under the rule of the Horde, was, in fact, not a monolithic state, but rather a collection of separate principalities. At this time, Vladimir began to be considered the nominal capital - it was the local princes who were recognized by the Tatar-Mongols as the oldest. However, the local table, as a rule, was transferred to one of the specific princes of the North-East, and the "Varangians", having received the title "Grand Duke of All Rus'" in the Golden Horde, did not consider it necessary to personally sit in the city. As a result, Vladimir gradually turned into a provincial town.

After that, Moscow gradually came to the fore. Local princes eventually managed to unite Rus', liberate the country from the Tatar-Mongols and make their hometown the capital of the newly formed state. It is believed that Moscow acquired the status of the center in 1389, when Vasily I came to reign.

The new capital, first of all, was distinguished by its favorable location - not only geographical and military, but also commercial. Through the Moscow River, one could get into other large rivers - the Volga, Oka and Klyazma, and along them - further south. In addition, the city by the XIV century became the cultural and spiritual center of Rus'.

Moscow remained the center of the country for more than 300 years - until 1712, when, by the will of Peter I, St. Petersburg became the main city of the state. Petersburg, by the will of the sovereign, was specially created in order to be the capital. And the decisive factors in choosing a place were the proximity to Europe and the location on the sea coast: this allowed guests from other countries "to sail to the king by sea, and not overcome the dangerous road to Moscow." The swampy delta of the Neva was not the most successful place for building a city, but almost the only one that made it possible to connect Russia and Europe by the shortest sea route. This connection, according to the first emperor, was more in line with the development path that he saw for the Russian state.

The wind of change

However, as history shows, the choice of the capital directly depends on the ideas of the leadership about the future of the country. Petersburg was the main city for only two centuries: in 1918, the Bolsheviks who came to power, apparently no longer in need of guests “sailing by sea”, returned the central status to Moscow, which it still retains.

However, today voices are heard again, suggesting, if not completely, then at least partially, to transfer management functions to another city. Most often among the successors, of course, St. Petersburg is mentioned - he has been asked for this role since 1991. It is quite simple to explain this: on the threshold of the third millennium, pro-Western sentiments were strong in Russia, whose supporters believed that moving the capital closer to the “partners” would have a positive effect on the development of the state. Over time, other arguments have been added to this argument. For example, about the high degree of Moscow's workload with all kinds of officials. And if the attraction to the West has gradually decreased, then the last contradiction remains unresolved until now.

However, in the future, St. Petersburg is far from the only city that could compete with Moscow for the right to have the title of the capital. So, one of the most dynamically growing settlements in Russia is Krasnodar. Its population for ten years - from 2006 to 2016 - increased by 20% - up to 853 thousand people. The total number of inhabitants, of course, is not comparable with 12 million in the capital, but the increase turned out to be more significant than Moscow's 13%.

In addition, Krasnodar is consistently ranked among the largest economic centers of Russia. In the industrial complex of the city there are about 130 large and medium-sized enterprises, which employ about 30% of all employees. Moreover, the minimum number of unemployed was recorded in this settlement.

The local economy is highly diversified: there are factories that produce appliances, metalworking, and there are clothing and furniture factories. The favorable business climate that has developed in Krasnodar attracts the attention of both domestic and foreign investors. Officials, for sure, would be attracted by the opportunity to work in an actively developing city with a mild climate, just 100 kilometers from the Black Sea. And at the same time reliably guarded by the Russian fleet.

Another regular in various ratings of Russian cities is Tyumen. This settlement, like Krasnodar, is one of the fastest growing: in ten years its population has increased by a third - from 542 to 721 thousand. In addition, Tyumen is the leader in the ranking of cities in terms of living standards in 2017, which was compiled by the Department of Sociology of the Financial University under the Government. According to citizens, the level of education, public services and road construction are recognized as the best here. The results show that Tyumen - the capital of the region's raw materials - has skillfully used the money received from oil and gas. And, of course, such an experience would be useful for the whole country as a whole.

At the right time in the right place

However, getting into the ratings is far from the factor by which the capitals of states are chosen. Both historical role and geographical location are decisive here. For the main city of the country, it is important that its place on the map is convenient not only for communication between regions, but also for interaction with major foreign partners. Not for nothing, Kyiv, Moscow and St. Petersburg took their place at different times.

But times are changing. Russia, once openly pro-European, is now pivoting to the East and betting on the Northern Sea Route, hoping to become a conduit between the Old World and Asia. And the ongoing changes in the future may well encourage the authorities to change the capital.

As well as possible in this case, one of the two Far Eastern cities is suitable - Vladivostok or Khabarovsk. Already now, both settlements are competently using their border position, establishing relationships with the "Asian tigers". And Vladivostok made an infrastructural breakthrough thanks to the recently held APEC summit here. By the way, the event showed that the city is quite able to cope with representative functions.

Another contender for the title of the center, no doubt, is Krasnoyarsk. The city has already become the informal capital of Eastern Siberia, largely due to its powerful industrial base, transport and logistics capabilities. This settlement is located almost in the heart of the country on one of its largest rivers - the Yenisei, which connects Krasnoyarsk with the northern territories. The city itself is located very close to the southern border of Russia.

If, however, forecasts are made that the Northern Sea Route will become one of the world's main trade arteries, ready to compete with the Suez Canal in terms of the volume of transported goods, then Murmansk, one of the largest ports in Russia, will inevitably claim the title of capital. And the fact that this city is the largest in the world beyond the Arctic Circle should not scare off officials at all. The climate here is temperate, and given the widespread warming, the weather conditions can be considered acceptable at all. So the cold is unlikely to become a hindrance, which cannot be said about the polar nights.

Delegate in parts

Russia, by moving the Constitutional Court from Moscow to St. Petersburg, took a step in a similar direction. For our country, with its vast territory, the distribution of authorities could be a response to many challenges. It is clear why until recently, for example, the ministries for the Far East or the North Caucasus were located in Moscow: to be closer to the decision-making center. However, in the age of new technologies, this need is gradually disappearing.

So in the near future, perhaps, management structures will be dispersed throughout the state: the ministry responsible for the NSR, in Murmansk; department in charge of relations with Asian countries - in Vladivostok. And officials will probably be in charge of oil production from Tyumen.

The capital of Russia should be located in its geographical center, politicians and public figures have repeatedly stated. They cite Kazakhstan as an example of the successful transfer of the capital.

This time, the idea to move the capital from Moscow to Yekaterinburg or Novosibirsk was put forward by the Senator of the Federation Council from the Republic of Buryatia, Arnold Tulokhonov.

« Novosibirsk, Ekaterinburg- any city. We need to take the capital out of Moscow. This cannot be done in Moscow, it is becoming obsolete. The capital should be in the middle, so that it is convenient not for officials, but for the population. Today, 75% of transportation is carried out through Moscow, and in order to get from Yakutsk to Chita, one has to go through Moscow,” the senator said.

The main factor for the transfer of the capital is economic. According to Tulokhonov, “you can’t centralize the economy, you can’t centrally manage such a huge country.” As a good example of the transfer of the capital to another city, the senator cited Kazakhstan, where the capital moved from Alma-Ata to Astana.

“Now it’s exactly three hours from Astana in different directions. How long does it take us to fly from Chukotka to Moscow?” the senator said.

Note that this is not the first such statement by government officials. Thus, the general director and co-owner of UC Rusal, Oleg Deripaska, proposed moving the capital to Siberia.

“The main decision is to move the capital to Siberia. Moscow is excessive centralization and corruption,” Deripaska said.

The transfer of the capital from Moscow will contribute, in particular, to the integration of Russia with the Asia-Pacific region, and this, according to him, is "a matter of the survival of the whole country." The new Russian capital could be Krasnoyarsk And Irkutsk, suggested Deripaska.

There are, of course, those who are against the transfer of the Russian capital to any city. For example, activists of the Arkhnadzor movement, which is engaged in the protection of architectural monuments in Moscow.

“The transfer of capital functions from the historical capital of a great country is an unprecedented action that mankind has not yet known. Moscow took the position of the capital for historical reasons. The transfer of capital functions to another city will be a strong blow to the national identity of all residents of Russia,” said Natalia Samover, coordinator of Arkhnadzor.

Yuri Krupnov, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Institute of Demography, Migration and Regional Development, proposed to Russian President Vladimir Putin that the Russian capital be moved from Moscow beyond the Ural Range. This initiative is included in the project "Doctrine of de-Moscowing", which the publicist recently sent to the head of state.

The public figure pointed out that modern Russia is "hypercentralized" - the Moscow region alone absorbed almost a fifth of the entire population of Russia. At the same time, national development is focused on 15-25 megacities, in which more than half of all citizens of the country live.

According to the expert, as a result of ongoing internal migration, Russia may not only lose its geopolitical advantages, but also lose sovereignty over territories remote from large cities.

“Forcedly accumulating in narrow limited point zones, Russian people<...>they will not want to increase the number of their families, to move away from the global plague of small children and extinction.<...>Today, on 1/7 of the world's land, we live 7-10 times more crowded, crowded and taller than the same British and Germans, ”the draft doctrine says.

• Yuri Krupnov
• globallookpress.com
• Alexander Legky/Russian Look

A demographic specialist sees a possible solution to the problem in the transfer of the capital of Russia beyond the Urals. At the same time, Krupnov is convinced that priority in development should be given to Siberia and the Far East, and it is necessary to move from the economy concentrated in Moscow to the development of the country's territories.

The expert also suggests abandoning metropolitan urbanization in favor of low-rise landscape-estate urbanization, which will allow "Russians to re-explore their vast spaces, their own land and will contribute to avoiding forced small families and restoring demographic growth."

The public figure proposes that the state allocate to each large family its own "family homestead" with an area of ​​at least 30 acres, which has all the necessary infrastructure.

According to Krupnov, in addition to the proposed measures, Russia should be “razmoskvich” by a project to build thousands of new cities and the accompanying new infrastructure. The expert proposes to provide transport communications for all small towns in the country with complete aviation and full restoration of navigability of rivers.

The head of the LDPR faction, Vladimir Zhirinovsky, in an interview with RT, expressed the opinion that there was no reason to transfer the capital of Russia beyond the Urals.

“No need to touch (to the capital - RT). The holy city of Moscow, which is already almost a thousand years old, and suddenly take - and the new capital. This is a lot of money, and most importantly - what is the point? We are leaving the Urals and will be the capital of an Asian state, that is, all symbols will be lost.<...>There are no economic, historical, legal, or moral and ethical grounds for transferring the capital,” he said.

• View of Yekaterinburg
• RIA News
• Konstantin Chalabov

The politician noted that the authorities should deal not with the transfer of the capital, but with the development of regions. He drew attention to the fact that the arrangement of the new capital will take too many resources.

“It just makes no sense to transfer the capital. Nobody interferes with directing money for the development of all other regions of the country. Otherwise, it will turn out that we will now equip another capital and tell everyone that now all the money goes to the new capital, so wait ten years, ”Zhirinovsky emphasized.

He also stated that his party would in no way support this initiative and would hinder it in every possible way.

In turn, the chairman of the State Duma Committee on State Building and Legislation, Pavel Krasheninnikov, expressed confidence that there were no prerequisites for the transfer of the capital of the Russian Federation, and they are unlikely to arise in the foreseeable future.

The deputy noted that any transfer of the capital is a "costly business" that "is hardly worth doing during a crisis." He recalled that in the history of Russia there have already been cases when the capital was transferred from Moscow to St. Petersburg and back, but then, according to him, there were prerequisites for this.

“Then it was a different story. Now I do not see any prerequisites, so I do not think that such a need is ripe. Yes, there is an overload in the capital, Muscovites suffer in many ways, but it seems to me that if this is torn off, then we will increase the suffering both for Muscovites and for those cities where, according to this project, it is planned to move the capital, ”TASS quotes Krasheninnikova.

• View of the center of Vladivostok from the cable-stayed bridge across the Golden Horn Bay
• RIA News
• Vitaly Ankov

The politician called the initiative “an interesting stuffing for discussion,” but doubted that it would be implemented in the coming decades.

First Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Federal Structure and Local Self-Government Irina Guseva, in an interview with RT, called the proposal inappropriate.

“This is generally the wrong approach. What is the point of leaving the Urals, what will it give us? In my opinion, the most important thing in this matter is the need to reconsider, perhaps, interbudgetary relations, because the regions are very dependent on the federal center. We need to set a little more priorities in the regions, take care of the population so that people do not run away from their small homeland, but are proud of it, develop enterprises, build businesses,” she said.

The Federation Council also does not believe in the prospects of such a proposal. First Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council Committee on Federal Structure, Regional Policy, Local Self-Government and Northern Affairs Stepan Kirichuk, in a conversation with RT, called the initiative far-fetched.

“No one needs Moscow either as a capital or as a metropolis if there is work and good living conditions. This is what governors, mayors, the population, residents, and public organizations should do. Not the transfer of the capital, but the development of the regional economy, the creation of conditions for excellent work, the creation of jobs - this is the main thing, and not far-fetched events associated with such things, ”he said.

According to him, the capital can be located in any city, but the situation in the regions will not change from this: “What difference does it make for Buryatia, where the capital will be, if in 1990 they had 2 million rams and sheep grazing, and today - 200 thousand What difference does it make to them whether the capital will be in Moscow, Yekaterinburg or Novosibirsk? It is necessary to solve the situation so that the rams grow and the meat is sold, and not the Mongolian is imported.”

• Novosibirsk
• RIA News
• Alexander Kryazhev

Judging by the results, in which more than 5,000 people have already taken part, RT readers support Krupnov's proposal. More than 50% of respondents voted for this option.