TRANSFORMATION OF THE INSTITUTION OF LAND OWNERSHIP IN THE CONTEXT OF MIGRATORY OUTFLOW: THE EXAMPLE OF THE REPUBLIC OF BURYATIA

DOI 10.32651/263-142

Issue № 3, 2026, article № 17, pages 142-149

Section: REGIONAL ECONOMY

Language: Russian

Original language title: ТРАНСФОРМАЦИЯ ИНСТИТУТА ЗЕМЛЕВЛАДЕНИЯ В УСЛОВИЯХ МИГРАЦИОННОГО ОТТОКА НА ПРИМЕРЕ РЕСПУБЛИКИ БУРЯТИЯ

Keywords: MIGRATION DYNAMICS, LAND RELATIONS, FAR EASTERN HECTARE, REPUBLIC OF BURYATIA, DEPOPULATION, FORMAL LAND OWNERSHIP, SPATIAL DEVELOPMENT

Abstract: The relevance of this study stems from the need to rethink the effectiveness of private land ownership in the context of depopulation and the shrinking of developed land in the eastern part of the Russian Federation. The transformation of land relations in regions with persistent migration outflow is acquiring uncharacteristic features, often at odds with classical models of economic behavior. The aim of this research is to identify and detail the cause-and-effect relationships between migration dynamics and the profound transformation of land ownership as a fundamental socioeconomic institution, using the Republic of Buryatia as an example. Particular attention is paid to the dysfunction of formal property rights, which, in the context of population decline, are losing their economic content and becoming an institutional trap, preserving resources and impeding their transition to efficient performance. The research base for this study is comprised of statistical data from the implementation of the "Far Eastern Hectare" program for the period 2019–2026. The results of the author's sociological survey of land recipients allowed for the determination of formal indicators based on subjective assessments and strategies of beneficiaries. The article reveals the mechanism for the formation of a legal situation in which the consolidation of formal rights to land does not fully correlate with its economic development, and institutional mechanisms for redistribution demonstrate ineffectiveness in the face of high rates of migration loss and stagnant demand. The scientific novelty of the work lies in its substantiation of the thesis that in depopulated regions, the classical institution of private property is shifting toward a symbolic or reserve asset that does not fulfill development functions. The results of the study have practical significance and can be used to adjust state policy on spatial development, as well as to improve mechanisms for regulating land relations in the eastern regions of the country, which require a transition from extensive models of land allocation to high-quality strategies for population retention and resource capitalization. Key words: migration dynamics, land relations, “Far Eastern hectare”, Republic of Buryatia, depopulation, formal land ownership, spatial development.

Authors: Imideeva Irina Vladimirovna