ISSN 2786-4561 (printed)
ISSN 2786-457X (online)

CONSTRUCTIVE GEOGRAPHY AND RATIONAL USE OF NATURAL RESOURCES

Vol.7.1 (2026). pp. 135-141

Spatial heterogeneity of socio-cultural transformations in border territorial communities of the Chernihiv region under wartime conditions

Ryndich L.

https://orcid.org/0009-0000-8887-8106
Taras Shevchenko National University, Kyiv, Ukraine
https://doi.org/10.17721/2786-4561.2026.7.1-01/14

Annotation. The article is devoted to the analysis of the spatial heterogeneity of socio-cultural transformations in border territorial communities of the Chernihiv region under conditions of full-scale war. The relevance of the research is determined by the need to move beyond the interpretation of borderlands as a one-dimensional zone of risk and to consider them as a set of territorial communities with different wartime experiences, levels of security pressure, adaptive capacities, and recovery prospects. This approach is particularly important for the Chernihiv region, where border communities directly adjacent to the state border with the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus experienced different forms of wartime impact, including hostilities, temporary occupation, military transit, logistical isolation, shelling, evacuation decisions, and long-term security tension. The source base of the study includes open materials of public authorities, strategic documents of territorial communities, public communications, and analytical materials related to the functioning of border territories during the war. The study applies methods of analysis and synthesis, a comparative geographical approach, elements of spatial interpretation, content analysis of open materials, and analytical systematisation of transformation factors. It is established that the spatial differences in socio-cultural transformations are shaped by the character of wartime experience, the intensity of threats, access to services, settlement structure, transport accessibility, institutional capacity, and the functional role of a community within the regional system. The article substantiates the importance of a differentiated approach to the analysis, support, planning, and post-war recovery of border territories.

Keywords: border communities, socio-cultural transformations, spatial heterogeneity, spatial differences, war, Chernihiv region.
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