2023 Issue №4

To attract in-demand professionals from various regions of Russia to the labor market in the Kaliningrad region (including teachers, medical professionals, and IT specialists), support measures have been implemented at both the federal and regional levels. However, the region continues to face a demand for skilled workers, with instances of professionals returning while difficulties in their adaptation are often noted. The article analyzes the current government support measures and their effectiveness for key professional groups in the Kaliningrad re­gion, such as teachers, medical professionals, and IT specialists. The research is based on the results of in-depth interviews conducted by the authors during the summer and autumn of 2022 with migrants from different regions of Russia, employers, and experts. Additionally, publicly available information from relevant ministries about the outcomes of attracting spe­cialists was utilized. The study evaluates the practice of migrants seeking government sup­port, examines the professionals' perception of existing measures, and highlights the need for adjustments to ensure the influx and retention of professionals in the region. In conclusion, suggestions are provided to enhance the effectiveness of government support for migrants from various regions of Russia in the Kaliningrad region.

The aim of the article is to characterize the peculiarities of passenger transportation with­in the regional railway transport system of the Transaucasus. The research relies on the sta­tistics of railway passenger transport and published schedules on the railway networks of the countries in the region. It is demonstrated that in the post-Soviet period, passenger rail transport has declined, and its potential is underutilized: the volume of transportation is min­imal, the movement intensity is low, and on a significant portion of the network, passenger transport has been completely discontinued. One notable exception in recent years is the Baku agglomeration. The decline can be attributed to the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the sub­sequent fragmentation of the region's railway network, competition from air and road transport, as well as the specific transport policies in the countries of the region. The im­provement of the situation is associated with the potential expansion of domestic railway communication as the population's income grows and as a result of changes in transport poli­cy.

The article examines the settlement system of the Kaliningrad region using the dasymet­ric method, first proposed in the early 20th century by the Russian geographer V. P. Se­menov-Tyan-Shansky as a more precise alternative to population density cartograms. Several dasymetric analysis approaches (buffer zone delineation and grid methods) of the settlement system and mapping of the territory in the Kaliningrad Oblast are demonstrated using GIS tools. Areas of the highest population concentration within the region, coinciding with the agglomeration's influence territory, have been identified. A decrease in population density to the east of Kaliningrad is also shown. For the municipal entities of the Kaliningrad region, the area and density of inhabited territories have been calculated. Dasymetric analysis has re­vealed areas of compact placement of rural settlements, aligning with the designated govern­ment rural agglomerations. The conclusion is drawn regarding the existence of stronger con­nections between settlements within different municipal entities and the potential for the ex­pansion of rural agglomerations beyond administrative boundaries. The connectivity of rural and urban settlements within the boundaries of the Kaliningrad agglomeration suggests the formation of second-order agglomerations. The dasymetric method can be utilized in further research to analyze the settlement system for studying the development of rural territories.