The role of small towns in the development of modern Russian society is considered
in the paper. Small towns, being centres of formation of regions’ social memory,
having a unique historical heritage, regulate the spiritual processes focused on the
country’s culture revival under conditions of the globalising world. The priority tendencies
of life in a small town are presented in the work. Small provincial towns in
the world of hyper-urbanisation are a territory of development of a person’s opportunities,
a perspective sociocultural space, needing economic support and reasonable
investment policy.
Key words: city, small town, urbanisation, sociocultural processes, spiritual contradictions
of civilisation.

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