Transformation of the Ukrainian cities within post-Chornobyl and Post-totalitarian ‘transitional’ period

Abstract

The study of the transformation of Ukrainian cities in the post-Chornobyl and post-totalitarian transition period highlighted a number of general development trends and regional features of the global urban process. Despite the socio-economic upheavals, Russia's military aggression and population decline, Ukraine has entered the ‘human development high category’ list of countries. Studies have shown that the country urbanization level continues to grow, while balancing its spatial development potential. This is evidenced by the emergence of the ‘South-West Spatial Vector’, the ‘West Sector’ and the ‘Meridional Axis’ of the urbanization process development. This indicates, first, the ‘spatial structures memory’, the presence of which allows us to interpret post-socialist transformations as a ‘return to pre-socialist development trajectories’ of Ukraine in common Pan-European space; secondly, on the cyclical development and reversibility of ‘waves vibrational motion’ of the world urban process; thirdly, the ‘country urbanized space reaction’ to the Russian military aggression in the East of Ukraine, the annexation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and part of the Donbas territories.

The specifics of the post-socialist development of the Kyiv Agglomeration reflect the new status of Kyiv and the general trend of development of the European metropolitan network, as well as the ‘gravitational pattern’ of spatial development, which is manifested by territorial uneven economic development and ‘growth poles wave migration’ from center to periphery and vice versa. The post-Chornobyl growth of the tourist attractiveness of the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone, where 80% of visitors are foreigners, will contribute to the further transformation of Ukrainian cities. In particular, air communication − the development of Kyiv and the Kyiv Agglomeration; roads − development of bordering cities in the west and south of the country, as well as cities in the areas of Pan-European transport corridors influence; railway - the development of Kyiv, Chernihiv, Slavutych; the Dnipro - Visla waterway project implementation, the purpose of which is the connection of the Baltic and Black Seas - the development of city-river ports along the Dnipro and Pripyat Rivers.