Russia's social and economic space is quite heterogeneous, including in such indicators as economic development and living standards. Russia has a large number of constituent entities, and many of them face more acute development problems. In economic theory such regions are called problem ones. They usually include the regions with the lowest living standards. At present the problem of depressive regions in Russia has its own distinctive features, which are connected, among other things, with transition from planned to market economy, which has caused changes in social and economic space. Large cities and regions, whose goods are in demand on the world market, have been able to adapt more easily to a market economy. And regions that specialized in more technologically backward industries became less competitive.