Geoinformation modeling of population changes in Russia in the 20th century

The article contains the results of a historical-statistical study using geo-information methods, focused on exploring the spatial dynamics of population settlement in Russia during the 20th century. The aim of the research is to identify the potential of geo-information methods for visualizing and analyzing the spatial dynamics of population settlement in Russia during the 20th century. The subject of the research is the population settlement of Russian territory in its historical transformation influenced by socio-economic and political changes. In this study, population settlement refers to the number of people concentrated within the administrative-territorial units during a specific period. Changes in this number over time allow for the assessment of the spatial dynamics of settlement in Russia. The research is based on statistical data regarding population numbers by administrative-territorial units at the provincial, regional, and republican levels, presented in officially published collections and archival sources; officially published political-administrative maps over various years of the 20th century. The main methods of research chosen for this study are: historical-statistical; historical-geographical; and geo-information, specifically the computer modeling method using the geo-information system Surfer. The study was conducted over five selected periods (dates) that reflected characteristic changes in the population settlement of Russia, influenced by socio-economic and political factors: 1900, 1936, 1946, 1965, and 2000. As a result of the research, spatial waves of settlement in Russia during the 20th century were identified, the processes of forming concentration centers of settlement were visualized, and the polarization of the settlement space characteristic of each identified stage of socio-economic development under the influence of objective factors was clearly presented. The novelty of the research lies in demonstrating the effectiveness of the geo-information modeling method using the GIS package Surfer for analyzing the dynamics of the spatial historical process of settlement in Russia during the 20th century. This made it possible to identify the spatial waves of settlement in Russia during the 20th century, visualize the processes of forming concentration centers of settlement, and clearly represent the polarization of the settlement space. The practical significance consists in improving the methodology of applied historical-geographical research conducted through digital technologies.

historical informatics, geoinformation technologies, computer modeling, dynamic maps, historical sources, historical and statistical research, historical and geographical analysis, population density of the territory, waves of settlement, regionalization of history