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Monotown: a city or town whose economy is dominated by a single industry or company. Across Russia, Soviet era monotowns find themselves in increasingly dire straits as factories close and economic opportunities dry up. The future of these 300 cities and their nearly 13 million residents is uncertain as the government seeks to balance economic aid and World Trade Organization regulations.
Follow the reporting of Pulitzer Center-supported journalists Anna Nemtsova and Brendan Hoffman in four of the nearly 300 Russian monotowns from remote Siberia to the coast of the Black Sea. This interactive map features four cities, Baikalsk, Asbest, Sukhumi, and Vyrdrino, that Nemstova and Hoffman reported on for their project Russia’s Monotowns.
Click on the purple markers to reveal the stories of individuals who live and work in these single industry towns. Hover over any point on the map to reveal the name of the city and its population. Data for this visualization was gathered from two 2013 studies by the Russian Federation measuring the socio-economic stability of monotowns.