The key facts
- Oleg Kozhemyako said the population outflow from the Far East has slowed considerably compared with the 1990s
- More than 1,400 enterprises have opened in the Far East and the Arctic, creating about 200,000 jobs
- Vladimir Putin earlier called for making the region attractive for living and relocation
Population outflow has slowed
The mass outflow of residents from the Far East and the northern regions of Russia has slowed noticeably compared with the period after the collapse of the USSR. Deputy Prime Minister and presidential envoy to the Far Eastern Federal District Oleg Kozhemyako told the newspaper KP.ru, reports Life.ru.
The situation of the 1990s and current results
According to Kozhemyako, the situation was especially severe in the 1990s: back then, in Kamchatka, Chukotka and Magadan Oblast the population outflow reached 30–40%. People were leaving the regions because benefits were abolished, wages fell and major construction projects were halted. “Now this outflow has slowed considerably. Take Yakutia — the demographic situation there is good, and Sakhalin is also showing decent results,” the deputy prime minister noted. Positive changes, in his assessment, are also visible in Primorsky Krai, where the peak of the sharp population decline is already behind. He named economic development and the creation of new jobs as one of the factors of stabilization.
New enterprises and jobs
As Kozhemyako reported, in the Far East and the Arctic more than 1,400 enterprises have opened, creating about 200,000 jobs. On the air of Komsomolskaya Pravda radio, the envoy stressed that the development of these territories remains one of the state's priorities.
The president's position
Earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin called for making the Far East attractive for living and relocation. At a meeting with Vladivostok Mayor Konstantin Shestakov, he emphasized that moving to the region should not be seen as a feat or a flight to the Moon. According to the head of state, the authorities must create comfortable conditions both for current residents and for those who are only planning to move. Putin also recalled the merits of the people thanks to whom Primorye and the entire Far East became part of Russia.
Why this matters
The statements by the envoy and the president concern the fate of millions of residents of the Far East and the Arctic, where population outflow has been observed for decades. If Kozhemyako's figures about 1,400 enterprises and 200,000 jobs are accurate, this could indicate a change in migration trends in the region. In practical terms, this is tied to the continuation of state support programs for the territories, which, according to the envoy, remain a state priority. At the same time, the cited figures rest on the assessment of a single official, and no independent data on changes in the demographic situation are provided in the publications.
