Urban-type settlement (UTS) — a type of settlement established during the USSR era. In terms of population, it occupies an intermediate position between a city and a village.
Definition
Unlike a village, no fewer than 85 % of the population in such settlements must be employed outside of agriculture.
During the Soviet period, urban-type settlements were required to have a minimum population of at least 3,000 people. Often such settlements had only one "town-forming" enterprise.
Alongside the term "urban-type settlement," the term "workers' settlement" is also used. For the most part these concepts are identical. At the same time, their spheres of application differ: urban-type settlement is a geographical term denoting a type of settlement, while workers' settlement (abbrev. r.p.) is an administrative and economic concept.
Practice
At present there are no uniform criteria across Russia for the formation of urban-type settlements; this matter falls within the jurisdiction of the constituent entities of the Federation.
As of 1 January 2008, Russia had 1,361 urban-type settlements. According to the All-Russian Population Census of 9 October 2002, the largest by population is the urban-type settlement of Pashkovsky in Krasnodar Krai, with 43,000 residents.
In the 104 smallest urban-type settlements by population, fewer than 1,000 people live, and in 11 of them — fewer than 100 people.