State Policy in the Field of Transport Infrastructure of the Caspian Macroregion: From the Planned Economy of the USSR to Market Reforms

The article describes the evolution of Russia’s policy in the development of transport infrastructure in the Cas-pian region. Particular attention is paid to analyzing the state’s planning paradigm and examining the conse-quences of these changes for the infrastructure. The study aims at identifying the advantages and disad-vantages of the Soviet transport policy, as well as the patterns of its post-Soviet transformation, in order to form a sustainable transport system and to develop an effective state policy of the Russian Federation in the face of global challenges. The methodological basis of the research consists of historical-comparative and systemic approaches, which allow for revealing the interconnection between transport policy and the state priorities at different stages of its development. The study analyzes regulatory documents and scientific sources covering the period from the 1920s to the present day. Thus, a comprehensive understanding of the evolution of transport infrastructure and transport in general is ensured within the context of a changing political environ-ment. Through a political analysis of the Caspian region as a single functional space from the 1920s to the pre-sent, the author explores how the transformation of state paradigms – from the era of the USSR to current geo-political conditions – has influenced the continuity or disruptions in the development of transport infrastructure. It is noted that some Soviet-era decisions have been preserved, while new projects driven by political motives have emerged in parallel.