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.
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Lyudmila K. Gusakova, Independent Researcher. Novaya St., 19, Novoalekseevka village, Krasnogvardeisky district, Republic of Crimea, 297060, Russia.
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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.
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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.
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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. 

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.
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Nursafa G. Khairullina, DSc (Sociology), Professor, Department of Marketing and Municipal Management, Tyumen Industrial University. Volodarskogo St., 38, Tyumen, 625000.
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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.
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Aleksandra R. Kashcheeva, Research Assistant, Laboratory for Comprehensive Interdisciplinary Projects, Higher School of Economics. Myasnitskaya St., 20, Moscow, 101000.
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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.
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Gorlova N. I., Kovalchuk A. P. Volunteering as a means of promoting tourism in rural areas // The Russian Peasant Studies. 2024. V.9. №2. P. 197-211.

DOI: 10.22394/2500-1809-2024-9-2-197-211

Annotation

One of the main goals of the Russian volunteer movement to develop environment in small rural areas. The authors assess the current state of the Russian volunteer movement in the context of developing rural areas and local communities, emphasizing the activities of the all-Russian social movement ‘Volunteers of Culture’. The authors identify functions and directions of the proactive citizens’ volunteer efforts and the role of volunteer practices in increasing regional tourist attractiveness and hospitality of local communities; argue that the tourism sector became a priority on the social agenda of the volunteer movement and work. On the example of socially significant projects implemented in Russian villages, the authors show both the results of the integration of volunteer activities into the rural tourism field and the positive effect of such volunteering for the development of local rural communities. Thus, volunteer activities reflect the degree of public participation in solving significant rural problems, and the authors emphasize educational, methodological and motivational measures to support and popularize the role of the volunteer movement in promoting rural tourist facilities and routes.

Keywords

Volunteering, volunteer work, social movement ‘Volunteers of Culture’, local territories, rural tourism, tourist routes, sustainable development.

About the authors

Natalya I. Gorlova, DSc (History), Associate Professor, Plekhanov Russian University of Economics, Stremyanny Per., 36, Moscow, 115054, Russia.
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Andrey P. Kovalchuk, PhD (Economics), Associate Professor, Plekhanov Russian University of Economics, Stremyanny Per., 36, Moscow, 115054, Russia.
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Loginov D. M. Russia’s rural population: Subjective well-being and social-economic practices // The Russian Peasant Studies. 2024. V.9. №2. P. 180-196.

DOI: 10.22394/2500-1809-2024-9-2-180-196

Annotation

Based on the data of the representative sociological survey conducted by the Institute of Social Analysis and Forecasting in 2023, the author considers indicators of subjective well-being and life practices of Russia’s rural population. The relevance of the suggested analysis is determined by the scale of territorial and settlement differentiation in living standards and by the current social-economic risks of decreasing well-being. The author focuses on various aspects of life satisfaction and on the ideas about their dynamics, consumer and credit-savings behavior and features of rural social interactions. The survey results show a generally favorable situation regarding the villagers’ life satisfaction, but the problem zone is possibilities of getting qualified medical help. In the emotional perspective, two thirds of villagers see opportunities for self-realization, while a half regularly feel anxiety and depression, and every tenth suffers from them the most. The important feature of consumer behavior is that half of rural population is forced to shop at minimum prices. More than half of rural respondents use the Internet for consumer practices, and every fifth does it very actively. Some villagers ensure the acceptable quality of life with credits and savings, and there is a significant group of financial risk. The majority considers as the main source of support their “close social circle” since there are extremely low expectations from institutions — both state and public.

Keywords

Rural population, rural territories, subjective well-being, social well-being, standard of living, quality of life, social-economic behavior, social-economic practices, life satisfaction, consumption, social interactions.

About the author

Dmitry M. Loginov, PhD (Economics), Senior Researcher, Institute of Social Analysis and Forecasting, Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration. Prechistenskaya Nab., 11, bldg. 1, Moscow, 119034, Russia.
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Kartseva M. A., Mkrtchyan N. V., Florinskaya Yu. F. Rural-urban migration in contemporary Russia through the prism of quantitative and qualitative analysis // The Russian Peasant Studies. 2024. V.9. №2. P. 153-179.

DOI: 10.22394/2500-1809-2024-9-2-153-179

Annotation

The authors consider the Russian rural-urban migration, focusing on its current trends. The migration loss of rural population has decreased slightly; however, the outflow from rural areas depends on multidirectional processes in suburbs and peripheral villages. According to the Russian Federal State Statistics Service, rural periphery continues to experience a strong migration decline, while the suburban village rapidly grows due to migration. Based on the microdata of the sociological survey “People, family, society” conducted by the INSAP RANEPA in 2023 and econometric techniques, the authors examined rural-urban migration as related to the labor market and income. The article shows that individual decisions to move from rural to urban areas are rational and economically justified, since such a migration improves one’s position in the labor market, increases wage and per capita income. The identified motives for migration from rural to urban areas and its social-economic drivers were confirmed by a series of in-depth interviews conducted in the summer of 2023.

Keywords

Rural area, rural population, cities, rural-urban migration, employment, wage, income.

About the authors

Marina A. Kartseva, PhD (Economics), Deputy Head of the Institute for Science, Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration, Prosp. Vernadskogo, 82, Moscow, 119571, Russia.
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Nikita V. Mkrtchyan, PhD (Geography), Senior Researcher, National Research University Higher School of Economics; Institute for Science, Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration, Prosp. Vernadskogo, 82, Moscow, 119571, Russia.
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Yulia F. Florinskaya, PhD (Geography), Senior Researcher, Institute for Science, Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration; National Research University Higher School of Economics, Prosp. Vernadskogo, 82, Moscow, 119571, Russia.
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Shagaida N. I. Is it possible to quickly eliminate labor shortage in Russian agriculture? // The Russian Peasant Studies. 2024. V.9. №2. P. 139-152.

DOI: 10.22394/2500-1809-2024-9-2-139-152

Annotation

In November 2023, the First Deputy Minister of Agriculture Oksana Lut estimated the shortage of workers in agriculture at 200,0001, obviously implying agricultural organizations. According to Lut, one of the reasons for such a shortage is low salaries: the limited effective demand for products does not allow agricultural organizations to increase the selling price of produce, which limits the wages of agricultural workers. However, the number of people employed in agriculture declines almost everywhere — this is a common situation in many countries. On the one hand, this decline is determined by an increase in labor productivity, i.e., a reduction in the number of workers is the desired result; on the other hand, many agricultural enterprises suffer from the lack of needed workers. Therefore, it is necessary to understand why there is a shortage of agricultural workers in Russia, focusing on the details of this situation. Based on the Federal State Statistics Service’s data, the author considers this situation, in particular the number of employed in agriculture, main reasons for such a labor shortage in agriculture and national economy in general, possibilities and limitations of the reliance/ dependence on labor migrants (especially from the post-Soviet countries) and on unemployed in the Russian labor market, regional differences in the available workforce, finally providing some recommendations to change the current situation.

Keywords

Labor shortage, agriculture, agricultural organizations, wages, unemployment, labor migrants, regional differences.

About the author

Natalia I. Shagaida, DSc (Economics), Head of the Center for Agro-Food Policy, Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration. Vernadskogo Prosp, 82, Moscow, 119571.
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Reusova T. V., Strepetova O. A., Balakirev N. A., Novikov M. V., Orlova E. A. Main commercial features of local sable skins // The Russian Peasant Studies. 2024. V.9. №1. P. 124-140.

DOI: 10.22394/2500-1809-2024-9-1-124-140

Annotation

To increase the competitiveness of the Russian sable products according to the requirements of the contemporary fur market, we need a comprehensive study of the properties of farmed and commercial sable skins. The article presents the results of the study of the commercial properties of the farmed crossbred sable skins, which determine their quality: height and thickness of hair, length and thickness of different categories of hair, and skin thickness depending on the topographic area. The authors conducted a monitoring of the fur goods sales at the joint international auction of the auction company “Fur Union” and the Baikal auction company “Russian Sable” in Saint Petersburg from February 2022 to September 2023, focusing on the untreated skins of the farmed crossbred sable (males and females) of the third and fifth colors. According to the results, the crossing of females of farmed sable with males of Yakut sable determined the increased uniformity of the skin hair of crossbred sable by topographic area, and the reduced thickness of the upper tier, which made the sable skin hair softer and silkier. The analysis of the auction results showed that the light-colored sable skins have a higher share of sales (68%–72%) and are in steady demand. Thus, the breeding work aimed at improving the quality of the sable skin hair and at increasing the color variability of the crossbred sable will ensure demand for farmed sable skins on the fur market.

Keywords

Skins of farmed sable, properties of skins, auction, monitoring, trade sales.

About the authors

Tatiana V. Reusova, PhD (Technical Sciences), Associate Professor, Moscow State Academy of Veterinary Medicine and Biotechnology named after K. I. Scryabin. Akademika Scryabina St., 23, Moscow, 109472.
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Oksana A. Strepetova, PhD (Technical Sciences), Associate Professor, Moscow State Academy of Veterinary Medicine and Biotechnology named after of K. I. Scryabin. Akademika Scryabina St., 23, Moscow, 109472.
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Nikolai A. Balakirev, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences, DSc (Agricultural Sciences), Professor, Moscow State Academy of Veterinary Medicine and Biotechnology named after K. I. Scryabin. Akademika Scryabina St., 23, Moscow, 109472.
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Mikhail V. Novikov, PhD (Technical Sciences), Associate Professor, Moscow State Academy of Veterinary Medicine and Biotechnology named after K. I. Scryabin. Akademika Scryabina St., 23, Moscow, 109472.
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Elena A. Orlova, PhD (Agricultural Sciences), Associate Professor, Moscow State Academy of Veterinary Medicine and Biotechnology named after K. I. Scryabin. Akademika Scryabina St., 23, Moscow, 109472.
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