Identification of the Most Important Russian Cities from the Point of View of Transport Links as an Instrument for Prevention of Pandemic Proliferation

Kirill V. Rostislav – Junior Researcher of the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration (Moscow, Russia). E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Yury Yu. Ponomarev – Head of Laboratory for Infrastructure and Spatial Research of the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration, Senior Researcher of the Gaidar Institute, Candidate of Economic Sciences (Moscow, Russia). E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The article analyzes relative importance of Russian cities in the settlement system and potential effects from restricting transport links aimed at the prevention of proliferation of COVID-19 pandemic on the territory of the country. Travel restrictions within the most important from the transport links cities will increase distance between inhabitants of the country and can prevent proliferation of the disease, improve chances for its control and help concentrating resources for the assistance for the severe cases. Restriction of links with Moscow is the most effective at the level of subject of the Federation or separate cities isolation measure in combating coronavirus proliferation because sharply increases the average distance between inhabitants of the country.

Key words: road network, scenario analysis, COVID-19.