Fedyakin, I.V. Metropolises as political subjects: history and current situation.

Abstract: The article concerns prerequisites for the metropolises becoming subjects of political processes at various levels. The author uncovers the main tendencies in the transformation of the political role of the large cities throughout their historic development. The global development tendencies of the latest decades include on the one hand the growth of the number of cities, and on the other hand growing number of their populations. Now more and more people around the globe live in large and ever-growing cities, and population concentration in such cities is growing as well. In a number of largest metropolitan cities of the world the population amounts to 15 000 000 people, and there is several dozens of cities where there are 5 000 000 to 10 000 000 residents. And there are hundreds if not thousands of millionaire cities. Moreover, in some areas with highly concentrated population the groups of cities and towns merge, and the differences between the city and town population, their cultures, lifestyles, psychology and everyday life are erased.

Keywords: