Negative demographic tendencies are some of the most serious problems of development of post-Socialist countries. Goal of this research is historical analysis and forecast of demographic processes in Poland and the Baltic States (Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania). The demographic forecast is prepared on the basis of revision of forecast model of the Population Division of United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs. Scenario approach and simulation multi-factor modeling act as the main methods of this research. One of the key objectives is critical analysis of use of the hypothesis of stabilization of migration components of demographic processes in scenarios of UN Secretariat. According to the most probable scenario, Latvia (-49% of modern population) can become the leader in expected depopulation within the next 80 years among the considered countries, smaller indicators of depopulation are expected in Lithuania (-43%), Poland (-38%) and Estonia (-34%).

Basing on active and hierarchically organized center-periphery processes, functional typology of urban settlements of Belarus is presented and stages of the country’s urbanization development are revealed. This functional typology of urban settlements reflects their role in settlement systems and urbanization stages are marked out in view of growth or decline of population in urban settlements of any functional type. Such a concept which reflects urbanization stages of urban settlements performing different functions in hierarchically organized settlement systems can be called the functional urbanization concept. Revealed urbanization stages indicate competition of polycentric and monocentric models of the territorial structure of Belarus during the second half of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st century. As monocentric development generates overconcentration of the population, economy and environmental management processes and intensifies social, economic and environmental problems, the country’s optimum development strategy should be the polycentric one, which can be achieved through active regional policy aimed at sustainable and inclusive development.

The aim of the paper is to prove the thesis that the organization of mass events actually affect the local economic development but this effect to a large extent is not straightforward. Mass events builds the social capital, which guarantees economic development in the future. The paper includes a review of the literature concerning the organization of mega events on the world and above all, a review of the available research about the effects of mass events expected and achieved afterwards. The study primarily includes the biggest sporting events in the World and in Europe which took place after 2000. The paper includes also authors’ research based on the organizational effects of European Football Cup Euro 2012 in Poland and 2014 Football World Cup in Brazil.

The post-reform period of development of the railway passenger complex was marked by a significant number of crises that led to aggravation of the transport situation in a number of Russian Federation entities. This article is devoted to the problems of regional analysis of the level of suburban service development; it outlines the main trends in management of the local railway transport. The main development indicators have been identified; the grading of Russian regions in these terms has been traced; two key models of regional policy in the sphere of railway suburban service to the population have been defined.

The analysis of the condition of financial support of the state social policy in the economically developed countries and in Ukraine was made. The idea about the influence of the GDP growth rates dynamics on the share of social expenditures of these states was expressed and verified. It was defined that a relatively stable and high level of government social expenditures (nearly 20 percent) is achieved after several medium-term economic cycles, after which the economic system adapts to market relations, and the stabilization of social expenditures occurs. It makes it possible to assert that there is a certain optimum of the level of social expenditures, and the state aims to maintain it after its achievement. This level of expenditures ensures the implementation of the main goals of the state social policy.

After the fall of the Soviet Union and regaining its independence, Armenia has begun a process of systemic transformation. The level and pace of socio-economic development has been influenced by internal situation as well as by country’s geopolitical position and its relations with foreign partners. The purpose of this article is to present general characteristics of foreign direct investment that has been present in Armenia since the 1990s. The author describes several key factors shaping the volume, geographical, proprietary and sectoral structure of the FDI inflows. A special attention is given to the influence of the Russian Federation on the Armenian economy.

The article focuses on working out sustainable tourism indicators taking into account national priorities of Ukraine. Among national priorities of tourism in Ukraine the varied and diverse natural healing resources (mineral waters, peloids (medical mud), climate, rump of estuaries and lakes, seawater, ozocerite, bischofite) and resort territories are the leading ones. Assessment of the state of natural healing resources and resort territories is suggested as a national priority among nine mandatory problem areas according to UNWTO recommendations for monitoring in observatories of sustainable tourism.

The aim of the article is to review the situation in terms of changes in the population of large cities in Central and East-Central Europe. Cities with a population above 300,000 inhabitants in 2004 were considered as large. The time frame of the analysis covers the period between 2004 and 2014. In total, the study involved 59 cities, of which in 31 an increase in the official number of inhabitants was recorded, and in 29 a decrease. It was found that the largest increase occurred mainly in the capital cities and in cities attractive to tourists, while the biggest decrease in post-industrial cities. At the regional level, the highest percentage of large cities with a decrease in the official population was recorded in the Baltic States, Poland and Ukraine.