Demographer Yuri Krupnov has warned that Russia could lose two thirds of its rural settlements over the next 25 years as depopulation clears empty villages.
Speaking in an interview with the National News Service, Krupnov stated that more than 20,000 of the country's 153,000 rural settlements currently have no residents, making them primary candidates for official abolition.
Historical data indicates that the number of rural settlements across Russia has virtually halved over the past 60 years. Krupnov noted that if current demographic trends continue, only about 50,000 rural settlements will remain in 25 years, representing a threefold contraction from present levels.
Rural settlements in Russia, historically categorized as sela and derevni, form the traditional backbone of the country's countryside. The National News Service is a major Russian media outlet based in Moscow that regularly reports on public policy and economic analysis.
Legal process of abolishing empty villages
Regional authorities across Russia follow formal legal procedures when removing abandoned communities from official state records. In many regions, local officials initiate abolition proceedings after a settlement has recorded no permanent residents for more than three years.
Krupnov explained that legal property titles can complicate administrative closure, even when houses on the land are completely ruined. If ownership rights remain officially registered to any owner, regional authorities cannot immediately erase the village from paper records.
To address property records and finalize the removal, regional authorities establish dedicated administrative commissions. These internal bodies conduct legal reviews to ensure the settlement is formally abolished under regional law.
Erasure of ghost villages across Russian regions
Official accounting data shows that regional governments across Russia abolished more than 100 ghost villages over the past year. The recorded populations of these eliminated settlements prior to removal ranged from 64 inhabitants down to zero.
Administrative actions differed based on whether any residents remained registered on municipal rolls. Settlements with three or four registered residents were merged into neighboring populated places, while communities with zero residents were erased from official maps permanently.
The Kostroma Region recorded the highest number of village closures in the country over the year, excluding 21 settlements from its official records. Located in western Russia northeast of Moscow, the Kostroma Region has experienced widespread rural contraction as smaller hamlets lose their remaining populations.
