Which city of Russia is the best for life and doing business? It is very difficult to get an objective answer to this question. Indeed, for a comprehensive assessment, it is necessary to take into account many different criteria. Recently, authoritative publications summed up the past year of 2014 and named the best cities of Russia for living, as well as for starting a business. You can get acquainted with these lists in this article.
The city and its place in the modern world
What is a city and what is its role in today's realities? This is the quintessence of your country or region, the locomotive of the economic and social development of the state. It is he who concentrates in himself all the latest technologies and leading minds. If we compare the state with a large house, then the system of cities will be its foundation, on the strength of which the reliability of the functioning of the whole structure directly depends.
It should be noted that each city has its own conditions for their successful development. Good cities of Russia for the life of people should have a number of certain conditions. Among them are such as developed infrastructure, investment attractiveness, a high level of medicine and education, low crime, the availability of jobs, the environmental situation, and so on.
The best cities of Russia for life
As you know, the popular publication Kommersant. Company Secret annually evaluates based on 13 different factors. Thus, every year the best cities of Russia for life are called.
Among the criteria that the publication relies on when ranking are the amount of per capita income, purchasing power of residents, the level and quality of medical care, and so on. It is worth noting that the assessment is carried out among settlements with a population of over 100, 000 people.
Last year, Kommersant. Company Secret published an assessment of 149 cities. In this case, data from local authorities, as well as from Rosstat, were used. So, we bring to your attention a list of the best cities of Russia for a quality life:
- Kaliningrad
- Krasnodar;
- Belgorod;
- Domodedovo;
- Irkutsk
- Khimki
- Podolsk;
- Ekaterinburg;
- Obninsk;
- Tyumen.
What is curious, neither the official capital of the country Moscow, nor the northern capital of St. Petersburg in the top ten ranking this year did not get. The first hundred cities of Abakan, Novocheboksarsk and Orenburg are closed.
The best cities of Russia for business
Another important indicator for the city is the presence in it of conditions for the development of private enterprise. Who determines the good cities of Russia by this parameter?
The popular Forbes magazine in 2014 analyzed the 40 largest cities in the country. After that, he announced his rating of the best cities in Russia for doing business. Here are the top ten of this rating:
- Kaliningrad
- Ufa
- Krasnodar;
- Tomsk
- Omsk
- Tolyatti;
- Irkutsk
- Kemerovo;
- Kazan;
- Saratov.
As we can see, there are three cities that were in the previous rating. This is Kaliningrad (1st place in both ratings), Krasnodar and Irkutsk. But Moscow and St. Petersburg we again do not see in the top ten. According to an authoritative magazine, they took, respectively, 14th and 21st place. The reason for such low rates is the very high competition for financial and labor resources in these megacities.
The problem of objectivity of estimates
There are doubts about the objectivity of such estimates. So, many Russians are very critical of such ratings. For example, it is obvious that the main criterion in evaluating Forbes magazine was investments and financial flows directed to the city. However, this is far from the main indicator in creating favorable soil for the development of business, both small and large.
An important role is played by the presence of a developed civil society in a particular city, its creative class. So, for a medium-sized settlement, several dozen active residents are enough to radically change the fate of the village. Therefore, the good cities of Russia are not the ones that make a lot of money, but those that the locals love, they do everything possible for prosperity and development.
Nevertheless, let us consider in more detail those settlements of our country that have taken the highest positions in these ratings.
Kaliningrad
Kaliningrad is the best city in Russia for both life and business. At the same time, he holds the top line of ratings for the second year in a row. Experts identified several positive factors characteristic of him, in particular:
- good economic and geographical position;
- the availability of skilled labor;
- recreational and tourist resources.
Kaliningrad is really an unusual city for Russia. We can safely say that he is the most European in the whole country. In terms of industrial production per capita, he is the undoubted leader in the Russian Federation.
First of all, Kaliningrad is known as the world capital of amber. In addition, oil refining and food (fish) industries are developed here. Kaliningrad is also the best city in Russia for doing business (according to Forbes magazine). It is also worth noting the great tourist potential of the village: these are the numerous fortifications of Königsberg, the Amber Museum, the grave of the philosopher Immanuel Kant. In this regard, experts note that the best business in Kaliningrad can be the organization of transportation and tourism activities.
Krasnodar
Krasnodar took the second line in the ranking of the best cities for life and the third in the list of the best business centers. At the same time, he managed to improve his position compared to last year.
Almost 800 thousand people live in the southern capital of Russia. The city is known for its high pace of housing construction. So, in 2014, about 1.5 million square meters of housing was built in Krasnodar, which became the highest figure for Russia.
The city has a fairly high economic and resource potential, which attracts significant foreign investment. All this creates good prospects for the development of small and medium-sized businesses. Experts note that the construction complex, as well as the instrument-making industry, is developing most dynamically in it.
Belgorod
For the second year in a row, Belgorod is among the top three most favorable settlements in Russia. The city with a population of 370 thousand people has a well-developed infrastructure and a high level of education of its inhabitants.
Metalworking, electronics, as well as the construction industry - these are the main industries for Belgorod. It can also be attributed to the largest scientific and educational centers of Russia. There are seven universities, as well as five research institutes.
Ufa
The second line in the ranking of the most comfortable cities for business in Russia was taken by Ufa - the "millionaire" and a significant transport hub.
The most developed here are oil refining, chemical and construction complexes, as well as engineering. However, experts note an insufficient number of small factories for the production of building materials, as well as catering establishments. Large construction companies operating in the settlement in question need a large number of local construction and finishing materials. Therefore, entrepreneurs who want to open a business in Ufa should pay attention to these areas.
Irkutsk
Irkutsk showed great progress in the ranking this year. The city, compared with last year, rose from the 20th line to the fifth. Over the past year, Irkutsk showed positive dynamics in many of the socio-economic indicators. In particular, the population of the city has grown (by 10, 000 people), and the purchasing power of citizens has increased (7 times!).
The main natural resources of this settlement are Baikal waters, as well as fish. They may well be interested in foreign partners, in particular, China and Mongolia. For small businesses, experts recommend opening a bakery, a car wash, or a company to warm apartments and balconies in Irkutsk.
Domodedovo
The rapid development of the economy and the growth of population incomes allowed this city near Moscow to rise from 32nd immediately to fourth position in the ranking of the best cities in Russia for life.
Domodedovo is a young city with a population of just over 100 thousand people. It is not surprising that in a small point located near the largest metropolis in the world, the construction complex will be the most developed. So, the main city enterprises are Domodedovo Reinforced Concrete Products Plant and CJSC "Steelinvest", which produces corrugated board, siding, etc. In addition, several large construction companies are successfully operating here.
