Problematic Aspects of Infrastructure Development and Administrative Structure of Central Russian Cities on the Eve of Catherine the Great's Reforms

This paper examines the state of infrastructure and administrative structure in Central Russian cities in the mid-18th century, on the eve of Catherine the Great's large-scale reforms.The methodology includes elements of comparative, structural, and descriptive analysis.The research source base is based on previously unpublished materials from the Russian State Archives of Ancient Documents (Moscow, Russian Federation).It is concluded that by the early 1760s, Central Russian cities were undergoing a complex transformation driven by the logic and long-term consequences of the socioeconomic and administrative reforms of the early 17th century.Cities were losing their status as instruments of military and political control over territory and gradually transforming into full-fledged administrative centers.However, the completion of this process was hampered by significant infrastructural limitations, which largely precipitated Catherine the Great's large-scale reforms.A shortage of personnel and an inadequate material and technical base hampered local authorities' ability to effectively address issues related to the existence of defensive structures that had lost their original functionality, the absence or poor quality of transportation and social infrastructure, fire safety systems, and law enforcement agencies.It is noted that the systemic nature of the urban development crisis made the radical provincial reform of 1775 inevitable.