Russia eliminated 266 settlements in 2025: where entire villages disappeared

Disappearance of settlements in Russia in 2025

According to Главком: In 2025, at least 266 settlements were eliminated in Russia, most of which were uninhabited. The largest number of villages disappeared in the Kostroma and Novgorod regions, which account for three-quarters of the eliminated settlements. The Perm Krai also ranked third in village eliminations.

Examples of eliminated settlements

Among the eliminated settlements is the village of Bleshniya, located in the Semenivsky district of Chernihiv region. The last resident of this village died in March 2021. Since the early 1990s, three out of six villages in the Orlikivska rural council have become uninhabited. A similar situation is observed in the village of Handobokivka, where the last resident died about 10 years ago. It is also worth noting that the village of Gorodok was removed from the records earlier.

This data reflects the trend of population decline in a number of regions of Russia, as well as indicating the ongoing loss of settlements that have no inhabitants.

The disappearance of settlements in Russia indicates serious demographic changes occurring in the country, especially in rural areas. The absence of inhabitants in these villages may be a result of economic difficulties, migration to larger cities, or a general decline in birth rates. This problem may have long-term consequences for the social structure and development of regions, as the elimination of villages indicates a decrease in the viability of rural areas.