From Systemic Underdevelopment to Basic Urban Maintenance: National Priority Projects in the Russian Periphery

The case of urban development in the Russian periphery is often overlooked scholarly efforts to theorize center-periphery dynamics characteristic post-socialist contexts, not least Russia. Consequently, analysis initiatives regions and provinces defies logic large-scale projects with subdominant relations between state private sector, since latter former are tied competition for limited federal resources. We delve into particularities through Vologda River embankment renovation project, paying particular attention decision-making processes, lack transparency, bureaucratic hustle response civil protest—all a distinctive, though common across Russia’s peripheral towns, dilemma systemic underdevelopment vs basic maintenance. rely on discourse legal regulatory documents, project plans, meetings proceedings official correspondence departmental agencies, media posts created by local protest groups during period 2018–2019. Through this analysis, we showcase only asymmetries power postsocialist periphery, but also constraints uncertainties that amount standstill situation uncertain prospects future improvement.