Panov V. Socio-economic development of Transcarpathia in 1990s.

The thesis researches on issues of economic processes of Transcarpathian region in 1991-1999. It considers post-socialist market transformations in the region in broad historic perspective based on significant scope of sources and materials. It is suggested to consider the socio-economic development of Transcarpathia as results of a long-term evolution of political and economic institutions of state which included the territory of Transcarpathia. The stages of institutional development of the Central and Eastern Europe defined; their outcomes define general features of socio-economic development of the region. Special attention is paid to economic aspects of political struggle around the issues of autonomy, or self-governance, of Transcarpathia in the beginning of 1990s. The economic dimension of these discussions were various projects of free (special) economic zones in the region. These projects were not considered purely in the economic sphere, but became one of the arguments in the political struggle between supporters of the autonomy and representatives of national-democratic forces, which caused the ultimate failure of these projects. The thesis comprehensively studies the impacts of market transformations in 1991-1999 on the population of Transcarpathia, including demographic indicators, urbanization, well-being, employment and labor mobility, social infrastructure and social processes. Special attention is paid to the peculiar process of deurbanization which took place in Transcarpathia in the researched period. It is demonstrated that transition to market economy had mostly negative implications such as widespread unemployment; poverty; deepening social inequality; pessimism, despair and social passivity as a result of frustration with the reforms.