The present time
Subscribe to this RSS feed
2025. Vol.10. №1.

Human dimension of rural history: Demographic losses and dacha revitalization in one Tver village

May 21 2025

Bogdanova L.P., Vinogradov D.M., Smirnova A.A. Human dimension of rural history: Demographic losses and dacha revitalization in one Tver village // The Russian Peasant Studies. 2025. V.10. №1. P. 153-177.

EDN: OTGKMC

Annotation

The article reconstructs the history and key post-Soviet changes in the village of Denisovo located in Rameshkovsky municipal district of the Tver Region. The village is a part of the main settlement area of Tver Karelia that developed in the upper reaches of the Medveditsa River. Another feature of this territory is closeness to the Tver agglomeration and the Moscow Region. These features largely determined demographic changes in the village at different times. Based on various materials, including historical sources, the authors provide a brief overview of the Karelian colonization of the territory and of the ethnic structure of settlements in the Zamytskaya volost. Based on the zemstvo statistical data and censuses, the authors analyze the population dynamics in rural settlements that were a part of the former Zamytskaya volost from the late 19th century to the early 21st century. The article presents a schematic historical reconstruction of Denisovo based on the survey of old residents, which was conducted in 1999. This reconstruction shows the number of people in households from the 1930s to the 1990s and the demographic losses of the village in the 20th century. The repeated survey conducted in the summer of 2024 showed the dacha transformation of the village, i.e., that a significant share of households is seasonally inhabited. Based on interviews with one local resident, the authors provide a contemporary scheme of households, which shows that the dacha ownership in Denisovo reflects the traditional directions of rural migration — to Tver, Moscow and Saint Petersburg. Owners are mainly local residents or descendants of those who left the village in the 20th century. The authors suggest the significant influence of the ethnic-cultural factor on revitalization of Tver villages.

Keywords

Rural studies, population dynamics, rural depopulation, village transformation, dacha revitalization, Tver Karelia.

About the authors

Lidiya P. Bogdanova, DSc (Geography), Head of the Department of Social and Economic Geography and Territorial Planning, Faculty of Geography and Geoecology, Tver State University. P. Proshina St., 3, bldg. 2, Tver, 170021, Russia.
E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Dmitry M. Vinogradov, PhD Student, Faculty of Geography and Geoecology, Tver State University. P. Proshina St., 3, bldg. 2, Tver, 170021, Russia.
E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 
Alexandra A. Smirnova, PhD (Geography), Associate Professor, Faculty of Geography and Geoecology, Tver State University. P. Proshina St., 3, bldg. 2, Tver, 170021, Russia. E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

Full text

 

Additional Info

2025. Vol.10. №1.

Settlement types and settlement system along the eastern part of the Baikal-Amur Mainline (Amur Region and Khabarovsk Region)

May 21 2025

Pivovar G.A., Shirokova P.A., Prusikhin O.E., Alekseev A.I. Settlement types and settlement system along the eastern part of the Baikal-Amur Mainline (Amur Region and Khabarovsk Region) // The Russian Peasant Studies. 2025. V.10. №1. P. 123-152.

EDN: OQUDCL

Annotation

The construction of the Baikal-Amur Mainline (BAM), one of the largest “megaprojects” of the Soviet Union, left a significant mark in history. At the same time, fewer works consider villages along the mainline, their contemporary life and inhabitants. The authors make an attempt to describe the settlement system along the eastern part of the BAM (between Tynda and Komsomolsk-on-Amur) and provide a typology of settlements affected by the railway based on field and statistical data. The BAM settlement system is linear due to the policy of territorial development around the railway. Thus, the authorities gave priority to industrial development at the expense of social development, and the main decisions on the location of settlements, housing and infrastructure were made at the level of individual construction sites. They were supposed to form a highly urbanized settlement system with a developed infrastructure along the road (to attract employees), but the lagging development of settlements did not allow this. Moreover, the BAM settlement system incorporated the previously existing settlements, which allows to identify two waves in the development of this territory — the long-term pre-BAM and the BAM-period. Settlements can be divided into four types based on the time of establishment, ethnic-cultural and economic characteristics: premainline ethnic settlements of indigenous communities, pre-BAM fishing settlements that grew out of outposts of prospectors and hunters, BAM intermediate urban settlements, and BAM “failed cities” — settlements at the main stations, which were supposed to become key centers of the new territory. These differences determined different ways of settlement transformations in the post-Soviet period.

Keywords

Baikal-Amur Mainline, Eastern BAM, rural settlements, urban settlements, workers’ settlements, settlement system, transformation of rural areas, typology of settlements, Amur Region, Khabarovsk Region, geographical study of rural areas.

About the authors

Galina A. Pivovar, Independent Researcher in Human Geography. Novodevichiy Pr., 2, Moscow, 119435, Russia.
E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 
Polina A. Shirokova, Independent Researcher in Human Geography. Sitnikova St., 2, Balashikha, Moscow Region, 143923, Russia.
E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 
Oleg E. Prusikhin, PhD Student, Leading Engineer, Department of Economic and Social Geography of Russia, Faculty of Geography, Lomonosov Moscow State University; Research Intern, Center for Spatial Analysis and Regional Diagnostics, Institute of Applied Economic Studies, Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration. Leninskie Gory, 1, Moscow, 119991, Russia.
E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Alexander I. Alekseev, DSc (Geography), Professor, Department of Economic and Social Geography of Russia, Faculty of Geography, Lomonosov Moscow State University. Leninskie Gory, 1, Moscow, 119991, Russia.
E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

Full text

 

Additional Info

2025. Vol.10. №1.

Interaction of agriculture and forestry as a way of survival for Eastern districts of the Kostroma Region

May 20 2025

Nefedova T.G. Interaction of agriculture and forestry as a way of survival for Eastern districts of the Kostroma Region // The Russian Peasant Studies. 2025. V.10. №1. P. 104-122.

EDN: LHJZVX

Annotation

The article considers today’s specifics of the mutual influence of agriculture and forestry in the Kostroma Region as a typical non-black-earth region, in areas remote from large cities. The main factors affecting life in such a region in recent decades have been depopulation in rural areas and small towns and concentration of production of key industries — agriculture and woodworking — in separate specialized large enterprises, while middle-sized enterprises outside cities disappear and small enterprises are forced to combine agriculture and forestry to survive. Meager pensions make the population reduce their personal subsidiary farming due to age restrictions and the lack of assistance from enterprises. Based on the study of three districts in the eastern part of the region, the article describes transformation paths of large, medium-sized and small forestry and agricultural enterprises and households in the 2000s–2020s. The author shows paths of interaction and often symbiosis of agriculture and forestry and methods of people’s adaptation to changing social-economic conditions.

Keywords

Forestry, agriculture, large and small enterprises, rural population, Non-Black Earth Region, Kostroma Region.

About the author

Tatyana G. Nefedova, DSc (Geography), Chief Researcher, Institute of Geography, Russian Academy of Sciences. Staromonetny Per., 29, bldg. 4, Moscow, 119017, Russia.
E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

Full text

 

Additional Info

2024. Vol.9. №4.

Digital platforms in agribusiness: A technological basis for mutually beneficial interaction of market players

Feb 10 2025

Sheresheva M. Yu., Belyaev A. A. Digital platforms in agribusiness: A technological basis for mutually beneficial interaction of market players // The Russian Peasant Studies. 2024. V.9. №4. P. 257-279.

DOI: 10.22394/2500-1809-2024-9-4-257-279

Annotation

The article outlines directions for the development of digital platforms for the Russian agro-industrial complex. Based on scientific data and research, the authors explain advantages and problems of platform solutions for agribusiness and possibilities to balance interests of producers of different sizes, including farmers and other small and medium-sized enterprises involved in agricultural value chains. The article presents a case of the GrainChain digital platform that allows actors in the grain and oilseeds market to find partners for mutually beneficial transactions, optimize procurement decisions, reduce inventory and overhead costs, receive real-time analytics and use other related services, including financial solutions, which ultimately reduces risks and increases cash flow. The authors conclude about the prospects of such platform solutions not only at the national level but also for international cooperation, in particular for the interaction of various groups whose interests are related to the BRICS agricultural production sector. 

Keywords

Digital platforms, technological sovereignty, technological innovation, agriculture, agribusiness, stakeholder networking.

About the authors

Marina Yu. Sheresheva, DSc (Economics), Professor, Department of Applied Institutional Economics, Head of the Laboratory for Institutional Analysis, Lomonosov Moscow State University. Leninskie Gory 1–46, Moscow, 119991, Russia.
E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 
Artem A. Belyaev, PhD (History), CEO, We Grow; Co-founder, GrainChain; Adviser to the President, Association “Afanasy Nikitin”.
E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

Full text

 

Additional Info

2024. Vol.9. №4.

Organization of the rural population’s leisure activities as a factor of preservation and development of the rural human capital

Feb 10 2025

Dorofeev A. F., Belozerova I. A., Krikun E. V., Davityan M. G. Organization of the rural population’s leisure activities as a factor of preservation and development of the rural human capital // The Russian Peasant Studies. 2024. V.9. №4. P. 246-256.

DOI: 10.22394/2500-1809-2024-9-4-246-256

Annotation

The article describes the role of leisure activities in the effective development of human capital in rural areas. The article is based on the results of the monitoring study conducted by the survey method to examine the cultural-leisure activities of villagers in the Belgorod district of the Belgorod Region. The culture of leisure in the rural society was assessed according to the three main indicators — institutional, information and sociological. The authors identified the following rural groups depending on cultural-leisure preferences and activities: consumer (50%), spontaneous (18%), limited (17%) and active (15%). According to the features of leisure, seven types of cultural-leisure activities were identified: entertaining (28%), imitative (20%), consumer (19%), conservative (10%), contemplative (9%), cultural-creative (9%) and non-traditional (5%). Despite the declared desire to take an active part in cultural events (83%), only 10% of villagers do participate in them. One of the reasons is the discrepancy between cultural needs and the ability of cultural institutions to satisfy them. The authors note that the effective organization of cultural-leisure activities influences both formation and reproduction of human capital in rural areas. Thus, indicators of the improving quality of life in rural areas are not only modernized production and high wages but also the development of educational and cultural-leisure institutions.

Keywords

Leisure culture, cultural-leisure activities, human capital, rural population, rural territories, rural development, economic efficiency, agrarian policy.

About the authors

Andrey F. Dorofeev, DSc (Economics), Associate Professor, Vice-Rector for Research and Innovation, Belgorod State Agrarian University named after V.Ya. Gorin. 308503, Belgorog region, pos. Maysky, Vavilova str., 1.
E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 
Irina A. Belozerova, PhD (Philosophy), Associate Professor, Belgorod State Agrarian University named after V.Ya. Gorin. 308503, Belgorog region, pos. Maysky, Vavilova str., 1.
E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 
Elena V. Krikun, PhD (Philosophy), Associate Professor; Belgorod State Agrarian University named after V.Ya. Gorin. 308503, Belgorog region, pos. Maysky, Vavilova str., 1.
E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 
Manushak G. Davityan, PhD (Sociology), Associate Professor; Belgorod State Agrarian University named after V.Ya. Gorin. 308503,Belgorog region, pos. Maysky, Vavilova str., 1.
E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

Full text

 

Additional Info

2024. Vol.9. №4.

Settlement sustainability as a result of the human and social capital development (on the example of the urban-type settlement Oktyabrskoe in the Republic of Crimea)

Feb 10 2025

Gusakov T. Yu., Gusakova L. K. Settlement sustainability as a result of the human and social capital development (on the example of the urban-type settlement Oktyabrskoe in the Republic of Crimea) // The Russian Peasant Studies. 2024. V.9. №4. P. 218-245.

DOI: 10.22394/2500-1809-2024-9-4-218-245

Annotation

Sustainable development of territories is one of the key goals of global and national policy. However, despite the resonance and financial assistance, many territories still lag behind and suffer from social-economic crises due to the peculiarities of both economic specialization and local communities. In Russia, depopulation has affected not only certain types of settlements and localities but also macro-territories (such as the North and the Arctic), which is determined not only by economic backwardness but also by social atomization of local communities, i.e., weak social ties at the micro level. The government makes efforts to smooth out demographic contrasts within the country, providing lagging regions with additional funding in the form of federal transfers and subsidies (policy of participatory budgeting, national projects, and various target programs to support local projects). The population of the Crimean Peninsula, except for Sevastopol, has gradually decreased due to a number of reasons: the region’s peripheral status, lagging social-economic development, proximity to the war zone, ethnic tensions, etc. However, some settlements do not lose their population and even manage to increase the number of residents. The authors consider one such settlement in different perspectives (historical prerequisites, economic specialization, features of social-economic and economic-geographical development, possibilities for accumulating social and human capital) and make a conclusion that its sustainability cannot be ensured only by additional funding for improvement projects and infrastructure construction.

Keywords

Sustainable development, settlement, rural areas, human capital, social capital, Crimea.

About the authors

Timur Y. Gusakov., Researcher, Center for Agrarian Studies, Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration. Vernadskogo Prosp., 82, Moscow, 119571, Russia.
E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 
Lyudmila K. Gusakova, Independent Researcher. Novaya St., 19, Novoalekseevka village, Krasnogvardeisky district, Republic of Crimea, 297060, Russia.
E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

Full text

 

Additional Info

2024. Vol.9. №4.

Typology of transformations in rural settlements of the Lower Ob Region in the post-Soviet period

Feb 10 2025

Nazarenko G. A., Loktionov K. S., Alekseev A. I. Typology of transformations in rural settlements of the Lower Ob Region in the post-Soviet period // The Russian Peasant Studies. 2024. V.9. №4. P. 178-217.

DOI: 10.22394/2500-1809-2024-9-4-178-217

Annotation

The article considers the main post-Soviet transformation of functional types of rural settlements in the Khanty-Mansi and the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Regions within the Lower Ob Region. The article is based on the field data collected in July 2023 and on the statistical data from the Federal State Statistics Service, district and regional administrative departments, and state archives. The authors show that the transformation of functional types of rural settlements was influenced by the development of rural settlements, their ethnic composition, the traditional way of life preserved by indigenous northern minorities, peripheral and isolated nature of settlements, territorial infrastructural development, projects of extracting companies in oil production areas, peculiarities of local institutions and regional support for economic specialization. To identify the main directions of transformation, the authors provide a functional typology of settlements in the Lower Ob Region for 1989, 2002, and 2021: 1) simplified functional type due to the loss of forestry, agricultural and commercial functions by some industrial settlements, 2) development of agriculture, recreational functions and commuting in settlements near cities, 3) stabilization of the social-economic situation as a result of the oil production near the settlement, 4) polyfunctionalization of large rural settlements turning into district service centers, 5) preservation of traditional economic activities in rural settlements with a high share of minorities.

Keywords

Rural area, transformation trajectories, periphery, isolation, functional typology, development of Western Siberia, genesis, ethnic mosaicism, indigenous peoples of the North, oil production, institutional factor, infrastructural development.

About the authors

Grigory A. Nazarenko, Undergraduate Student, Department of Economic and Social Geography of Russia, Faculty of Geography, Lomonosov Moscow State University. Leninskie Gory, 1, Moscow, 119991, Russia.
E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 
Kirill S. Loktionov, analyst, Scientific Center for the Study of Rural Problems; Master’s Student, Department of Economic and Social Geography of Russia, Faculty of Geography, Lomonosov Moscow State University. Leninskie Gory, 1, Moscow, 119991, Russia.
E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 
Alexander I. Alekseev, DSc (Geography), Professor, Department of Economic and Social Geography of Russia, Faculty of Geography, Lomonosov Moscow State University. Leninskie Gory, 1, Moscow, 119991, Russia. E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

Full text

 

Additional Info

2024. Vol.9. №3.

New craftsmanship: Its place and role in the contemporary Russian culture

Oct 25 2024

Ambrushkevich K. V., Khairullina N. G. New craftsmanship: Its place and role in the contemporary Russian culture // The Russian Peasant Studies. 2024. V.9. №3. P. 249-264.

DOI: 10.22394/2500-1809-2024-9-3-249-264

Annotation

The article considers the institutionalization of new craftsmanship and such related concepts as “craft” and “DIY”. As the “third wave” of interest in handicraft work in the recent history, the new craftsmanship has some typical features and acquires new meanings. Various handicraft practices revived in large cities have gradually become an integral part of the lifestyle of many wealthy city dwellers. The article is based on the secondary empirical data — sociological studies conducted by large companies; popular online materials with stories of people who linked their lives with crafts; user requests on search engines; available statistical data and expert assessments. The article shows the role of manual labor in history and describes factors that contribute to the development of the craft sector and to the transformation of the DIY industry into an independent market segment. The analysis of handicraft practices allowed the authors to identify some socially significant functions of the contemporary craft: a sphere of labor activity; a way to satisfy needs for creative self-realization; a form of recreation; a source of income; a communication channel and an educational trajectory.

Keywords

Craft, DIY, handicrafts, everyday life, hobbies, self-realization, work, entrepreneurship, recreation.

About the authors

Konstantin V. Ambrushkevich, PhD Student, Department of Marketing and Municipal Management, Tyumen Industrial University. Volodarskogo St., 38, Tyumen, 625000.
E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 
Nursafa G. Khairullina, DSc (Sociology), Professor, Department of Marketing and Municipal Management, Tyumen Industrial University. Volodarskogo St., 38, Tyumen, 625000.
E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

Full text

 

Additional Info

2024. Vol.9. №3.

Actors of local self-government: Identification in the single-tier management system

Oct 25 2024

Andrianov V. R., Kashcheeva A. R. Actors of local self-government: Identification in the single-tier management system // The Russian Peasant Studies. 2024. V.9. №3. P. 229-248.

DOI: 10.22394/2500-1809-2024-9-3-229-248

Annotation

The article aims at showing how regional identities are constructed under changes in the Russian local self-government system. The authors conducted an empirical study in one Karelian municipal district during its transformation into a single-tier municipality. Regional identities can be constructed at different levels during regionalization; therefore, an increase in the subnational autonomy often makes governments reform their regional and municipal policies. In Karelia, the transformation of one municipal district has led to political antagonism between its central and rural administrations. This antagonism goes beyond political-administrative relations and is manifested in narratives about social and cultural factors affecting the perception of regional boundaries. Thus, the political conflict affects the regional identity construction. When municipalities are united, the lack of a single infrastructure cluster would lead to an increase in protest sentiments in rural administrations, since the transfer of powers to the district center is expected to reduce the level of autonomy in resolving local issues. The authors conclude that municipal transformations would contribute to regional identification of rural administration staff, potentially leading to acute social conflicts and political destabilization in the region. 

Keywords

Local self-government, municipal authorities, municipal district, reforms, centralization, municipal amalgamation, regionalization, regional identity, Republic of Karelia.

About the authors

Vitaly R. Andrianov, Research Assistant, Laboratory for Comprehensive Interdisciplinary Projects, Higher School of Economics. Myasnitskaya St., 20, Moscow, 101000.
E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 
Aleksandra R. Kashcheeva, Research Assistant, Laboratory for Comprehensive Interdisciplinary Projects, Higher School of Economics. Myasnitskaya St., 20, Moscow, 101000.
E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

Full text

 

Additional Info

2024. Vol.9. №3.

Rural labor market: Agricultural education, agrarian involvement and rural settlement of younger workers

Oct 25 2024

Fadeeva O. P. Rural labor market: Agricultural education, agrarian involvement and rural settlement of younger workers // The Russian Peasant Studies. 2024. V.9. №3. P. 204-228.

DOI: 10.22394/2500-1809-2024-9-3-204-228

Annotation

In the past two decades, the transformation of the agricultural sector of the Russian economy has significantly changed the situation in the rural labor market. Its supply has not met the employers’ requests, since they focus on the latest technological base of agricultural production. The traditional confidence in the labor surplus in rural areas has gradually lost its relevance, and representatives of the municipal authorities and agribusiness admitted the shortage of workers and gaps in specialized education. Moreover, the personnel shortage has become predominantly structural: there are not enough workers in certain, in-demand specialties. Based on the data of the indepth interviews with employers, the article examines the main barriers to meeting the demand for qualified specialists in the agricultural sector. The author describes possibilities and features of the potential labor supply due to the influx of the youth by summarizing the data of the survey conducted at one of the largest agricultural universities in Russia, focusing on students’ professional motivation and future employment. The difficulties in attracting and retaining younger workers are determined by the need to consider and solve problems within the implemented and planned changes in the spatial development model — from an integrated and initiative transformation of rural areas to the development of large-scale “rural agglomerations”. Based on the student opinions, the author makes some practical conclusions about possible changes in agricultural education and rural development policy.

Keywords

Rural labor market, agricultural employment, youth, higher and secondary vocational education, rural lifestyle, integrated development of rural areas, rural agglomerations.

About the author

Olga P. Fadeeva, PhD (Sociology), Head of Department, Institute of Economics and Industrial Engineering, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Ac. Lavrentyeva Prosp., 17, Novosibirsk, 630090.
E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

Full text

 

Additional Info

Page 3 of 12