RUSSIA: PROBLEMS OF REGIONAL INTEGRATION special attention was paid to the specific cultural heritage of each region, technic traditions and languages of population (including ethnic minorities). Rapid industrialization of the USSR in 1920-30s could not be equally distributed all-over the huge area in a short period of time but perspective plans were prepared for each and every region as parts of the united system of the national economy. All regions received more or less equal social security systems. Citizens all over (the country) enjoyed their rights to have shelter, free medical care, free and compulsory education, employment on guarantee, etc. Victory of the USSR in the Second World War (1941-45) over fascist Germany (dominated over the economic potential of subjugated European countries) when the most developed Western part of the country was occupied relied upon the economic stronghold in the newly developed macro-regions: Ural-Kuzbass coal-metallurgical base created in 1930s; traditional oil producing and refineries region of Baku was supported by the new oil developed region between the Volga river basin and Ural ("the second Baku"). Infrastructure was ready practically in all regions including Kazakhstan, Central Asia, Western and Eastern Siberia to accommodate numerous industrial units evacuated from the Western parts of the country occupied (or under the danger of occupation) by German forces, it was historical examination and proof of the efficiency of the Socialist system, State regulation and control on the development guided by planning system on regional basis. In the pre-war time and particularly during the war strong centralization was necessary to mobilize all the resources available to survive and to win. Inertia of centralized planning and management systems along with growing bureaucratisation of administration continued after the war slowing down since 1970s the economic progress, technology innovations* modernisation and computerization. Nevertheless, economy system of the country was functioning as a single 'organism' with all regions interlinked by numerous territorial-production links. Multi-level planning was a part and parcel of general management and development pattern. Physical planning was spread all over the Union embracing republics, oblasts, industrial belts, urban agglomerations and municipalities with environmental issues acquiring growing importance. National Union Baltic, Caucaseous, Central Asian republics used