Review article

The historical heritage of the railway structure of theRussian Empire is considered, the object composition ofthe railway junction as an important urban-forming unitin the system of settlement of the country's inhabitants isrevealed and systematized. On the basis of a comprehensiveanalysis of the organization of railway junctions, there hasbeen worked out a typology of infrastructure facilities witha systemic ranking. On the example of the Ryazan province,the city-forming role of railway junctions is specified, theirarchitectural dominants are revealed, and the degree ofpreservation of the historical heritage is assessed.