Post-Soviet Transformation of Livestock in Central Russia According to Statistics, Satellite Imagery, and the Authors’ Observations

Abstract—: This article examines the main trends in the spatial organization of animal husbandry in the post-Soviet years based on a multiscale study of regions in Russia’s Central Federal District. Using Rosstat data on municipal districts, topographic maps, and remote sensing data with different resolutions enabled us to uncover the pattern and spatial changes of animal husbandry, at a scale of a single farm. After a catastrophic decline in the livestock numbers in the 1990s, animal husbandry is recovering; however, partially changing its specialization, organizational structure, and localization. Against the overall increase in meat production in the recent years, mainly due to pork and poultry, the number of cattle in most regions continues to decline. At the same time, the degree of concentration of animal husbandry has increased versus Soviet times. The selectivity of animal husbandry restoration contributes to its spatial polarization—few foci of concentration along vast territories of the Non-Chernozem zone abandoned and gradually overgrown with forest. To verify official statistical data, we used ultra-high-resolution remote sensing data on the distribution of livestock production infrastructure and its state, examples of which are given in diagrams and maps. Comparing data of topographic maps dating to late 1980s and current satellite images showed that more than 4000 farms were abandoned in regions of the Central Federal District, at the same time many new modernized enterprises appeared. Maps compiled for municipal districts clearly reflect the contemporary spatial structure of livestock production. We also reflect on the spatial organization of large agroholdings in detail with examples. © 2021, Pleiades Publishing, Ltd.