Strategic priorities for managing spatial inequalities in the socio-economic development of the Russian regions

With the growing need to ensure the security and sustainability of the national economy’s long-term development under unstable macroeconomic conditions, it is of special relevance to comprehend the inequalities being formed in the socioeconomic space of Russia and its regions. The paper aims to explore the trajectories of the socio-economic space’s inequality at the macro- and meso-levels in the Russian Federation, as well as to determine the strategic priorities for managing interregional differentiation. The study presents an integrated approach based on the primacy of the interconnection and interdependence typical of spatial imbalances. The approach implies the assessment of the dynamics of three groups of indicators that characterize the differences in economic and social development of the Russian regions. Scientific ideas about regional and spatial economics, as well as location theory and strategic management constitute the methodological framework of the research. In the study, dialectical, cause-effect and statistical methods are used. We prove that economic and social spaces in Russia often have opposite development priorities, which hampers the effectiveness of government policy. This requires adjusting the strategic management of spatial imbalances aimed at increasing the efficiency of public administration mechanisms and methods, and improving the consistency of development indicators of the country and its regions with long-term socio-economic goals. Having assessed the problems of regulation of the socio-economic development inequalities and performed a discourse analysis of relevant documents, the article develops the key thrusts for improving the system of strategic planning in Russia. The findings add to the development of a scientifically based approach to implementing strategic management of spatial inequalities in the socio-economic development of Russia and its regions.