In the spatial structure of modern Russia, vast coastal zones play a significant role. Their further development requires a highly detailed and localized approach (down to the level of specific coastal municipalities) that considers the natural, ecological, and socio-economic conditions of settlement and economic activity. This article presents a metho­dological approach and the results of a multidimensional typology of Russia’s coastal municipalities (186 urban districts, municipal districts, and municipal okrugs (a type of municipality in Russia)). The typology is based on interbasin natural and economic zonation; comparison of the economic, demographic, and areal size of municipalities; the position of their administrative centres relative to the coastline; central–peripheral relations within the framework of the ‘main bases’ of marine activity; marine econo­mic functionality; prevailing local socio-economic and environmental problems; and the availability of federal support through preferential business regimes. The typologization algorithm is described along with its cartographic visualization (using GIS). The article also provides an assessment and comparative analysis of the socio-economic dynamics of different types and subtypes of coastal municipalities. The study identifies multidirectional trends in the spatial socio-economic development of Russia’s coastal zone: polarization, population and economic concentration in some municipalities, and economic contraction in others. The most problematic typological groups and their geographic locations (Pacific Russia and the Arctic zone) are identified. Finally, the article emphasizes the importance of accounting for these typological features in Russia’s spatial development strategy, including in the context of federal support for geostrategic territories and the creation of a network of anchor settlements.

The manufacturing industry of Russia’s Baltic regions has faced major global challenges in recent years, including the COVID-19 pandemic and Western sanctions. This study aims to identify the spatiotemporal effects of these external shocks on industrial dynamics in Saint Petersburg, Leningrad and Kaliningrad regions, and to identify local clusters of industrial growth and decline. The methodological framework of the study is spatial analysis based on differential global and local Moran’s I statistics, which allows for the assessment of spatial autocorrelation in changes in industrial output at the municipal level during 2019—2023. Official Rosstat data, normalized (deflated) to pre-crisis levels, serve as the empirical basis of the study. The findings reveal pronounced heterogeneity in regional responses. In the Kaliningrad region, extensive zones of industrial decline emerged, reflecting the region’s high dependence on imports. By contrast, several muni­cipalities in the Leningrad region demonstrated growth, supported by production diversification and government measures. These results make it possible to identify local poles of decline and growth, highlighting significant spatial disparities in the resilience of the manufacturing sector across Russia’s Baltic regions.

This study examines the relationship between foreign direct investment (FDI), trade openness, and economic growth in Russia using annual time series data from 1993 to 2022. Utilizing the Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) approach, the findings reveal that FDI and trade have positive short-term effects on economic growth but no significant long-term impact. Supporting variables such as the real effective exchange rate positively influence growth in both the short and long term, while youth unemployment shows mixed short-term effects and a consistently negative long-term impact. Military spending has no short-term effect but negatively impacts growth in the long term, whereas inflation exhibits both positive and negative short-term influences and a negative long-term relationship with growth. Granger causality analysis highlights a unidirectional relationship between economic growth and trade openness, military spending, and the real effective exchange rate. The findings suggest policies to attract sustainable foreign investment, enhance trade, tackle youth unemployment, reassess defense budgets, and maintain stable monetary policies.

The study examines the challenges and prospects of tourism development in the Arctic city of Kostomuksha, located in the Karelian — Finnish borderland. Founded in the late 20th century as a model of Russian — Finnish cooperation, Kostomuksha is now seeking new development paths in the 21st century, following the cessation of cross-border mobility and cooperation. Given the depletion of natural resources, the municipality faces acute pressure to identify al­ternative development strategies, including a reorientation of its tourism sector. This study aims to identify promising directions for tourism development in Kostomuksha under the new conditions, drawing on data from a sociological survey of the expert community. The ana­lysis is based on materials collected through a focus group and a series of semi-structured interviews conducted by the author in May 2024 with senior officials and key specialists from state, commercial, and non-profit organisations involved in the district’s tourism sector. The findings highlight the main constraints on tourism development in the Kostomuksha urban dis­trict: economic limitations, infrastructural deficiencies, shortage of qualified personnel, weak marketing, environmental restrictions, and the pronounced seasonality of the tourism industry. Despite these challenges, nature-based tourism is identified as the priority direction, encom­passing not only ecological but also active, cultural-educational, and event-related forms of tourism. The inclusion of Kostomuksha in the Arctic zone is viewed as an important factor in adjusting the municipality’s strategic priorities. Considering its geographic location, the avai­lability of sports and tourism infrastructure for winter activities, and the successful experience of organising large-scale events, winter tourism appears to be one of the most promising areas for further development. The study also underscores the necessity of cooperation among go­vernment, business, and civil society in shaping sustainable tourism in the urban district.