Development of Rural Settlement Networks in Western Siberia under Impact of Socio-Economic Transformations during 1930s to 1950s

This article examines the evolution of rural settlement networks in Western Siberia during the period of industrialization characterized by collectivization and a series of measures aimed at consolidating collective farms through the incorporation of homesteads into larger settlements from the 1930s to the 1950s. It explores state resettlement policies during this era and their impact on key indicators such as typical structure, population size, and density of rural settlements. Based on unpublished archival data regarding the movement and inclusion of single-household peasant farms within settlements, as well as consolidation efforts for collective farms, and drawing upon materials from the All-Union Population Census of 1959, the study identifies distinctive features of village-type settlement development in the region. The analysis compares these figures with similar metrics across the RSFSR and its administrative divisions. Notable findings include a decline in rural populations, uneven urbanization trends across subregions of Western Siberia, increased typological diversity due to changes in farming practices resulting in the formation of collective farms, state farms, central farmsteads, branches, and agricultural facilities. Furthermore, it highlights an increase in settlement sizes driven by deliberate government policies that prioritized merging smaller economically weak homesteads and outlying hamlets into larger communities.