The purpose of the article is to analyze the regional features of Russia’s development. In order to achieve the goal using the author’s methodology the development of regional subsystems (production and financial, socio-economic, natural and environmental, social and cultural) is analyzed, the sustainability of regional development is evaluated. The calculation results are given by federal districts and constituent entities of the Northwestern Federal District, special attention is paid to the trends in the development of the Vologda Oblast. Methods of analysis, synthesis, comparison, as well as methods of complex assessment of stability are used. It has been determined that the development of regional subsystems is heterogeneous and depends on a large number of endogenous factors; the sustainability of most Russian regions (54) is below average, another 26 regions have an average level of stability, one region (the Tyumen Oblast) – above average. The development of the Vologda Oblast until 2014 was unstable, but then the oblast moved from the group with the level of sustainability below average to the group with the average level of sustainability; its development during 2014–2016 can be called sustainable. The reason for this is a number of positive results of the development of regional subsystems starting from 2014. Based on analysis results, proposals to raise the sustainability of the Vologda Oblast and accelerate the development of certain regional subsystems are formulated. Conclusions and recommendations presented in the article may be in demand in activities of regional and federal authorities, researchers in regional economy, and high school teachers. In the long term it is necessary to conduct a more in-depth study of the impact of endogenous and exogenous factors on regional development and the prerequisites and potential for sustainable development
Keywords
regions, sustainable development, the vologda oblast, sustainability, regional subsystems