Ershov A.M. International typologies of rural areas // The Russian Peasant Studies. 2023. V.8. №4. P. 41-53.

DOI: 10.22394/2500-1809-2023-8-4-41-53

Annotation

The article presents international, mainly European, typologies of rural areas, focusing on the features and differences in the criteria for identifying ‘rural’ territories in the European Union. The author explains the reasons for the need for more comprehensive typologies based on the transport accessibility of the territory, trajectories of its transformation, and macro-regional characteristics. The article considers the main methodological difficulties in developing a universal typology of rural areas for all regions of the world and emphasizes differences in the indicators and their threshold values used for typologies and in the levels of administrative-territorial analysis. The author provides references that reflect the methodological foundations of contemporary national typologies and mentions scientific innovations used in such research works. Finally, the article identifies the main common features of the presented typologies, focusing on their methodological limitations.

Keywords

Rural areas, international typologies, spatial differentiation, types of rural areas, assessment methods, rural-urban continuum, transition zones, identification criteria.

About the author

Ershov Alexey M., PhD Student, Department of Economic and Social Geography of Russia, Faculty of Geography, Lomonosov Moscow State University; Leninskie Gory, 1, Moscow, 119991.
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Prusikhin O.E., Krutov O.D., Vorobiev M.I., Loktionov K.S., Vepritsky A.A., Alekseev A.I. A multi-scale typology of rural areas under the post-Soviet transformations (on the example of the Tambov Region) // The Russian Peasant Studies. 2023. V.8. №2. P. 64-103.

DOI: 10.22394/2500-1809-2023-8-2-64-103

Annotation

Russian countryside is heterogeneous, and in the post-Soviet period, this heterogeneity has increased. Moreover, the image of the countryside in the perception of the authorities and society is far from reality, which leads to the mistakes in the assessment of its condition and prospects. Russian scholars usually study the northern countryside and ethnic republics, while the studies of the Russian steppe regions are less common. The authors consider the factors of the rural territorial differentiation under the post-Soviet transformations in one of the most homogeneous steppe regions — Tambov — at the level of municipal districts and rural settlements. The suggested typology of districts is based on the statistical indicators which reflect changes in the intensity of territorial development in the last thirty years; and the typology of settlements is based on 53 interviews and observations during the expedition to the Michurinsky, Gavrilovsky and Uvarovsky districts in the summer of 2022. The authors conclude that the natural factor still determines the intensity of transformations both directly (higher intensification of crop production in the south) and indirectly (through the settlement and transportation system). The influence of the economic-geographical position (proximity to cities) and of the institutional factor (large investors are interested in unallocated land) is also significant.

Keywords

Post-soviet transformations, rural areas, Tambov Region, changing functions, typology, rural settlements.

About the authors

Prusikhin Oleg E., Master’s Student, Department of Economic and Social Geography of Russia, Faculty of Geography, Lomonosov Moscow State University; Leninsky Gory, 1, Moscow, 119991.
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Krutov Oleg D., Master’s Student, Department of Economic and Social Geography of Russia, Faculty of Geography, Lomonosov Moscow State University; Leninsky Gory, 1, Moscow, 119991.
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Vorobiev Maxim I., PhD Student, Department of Economic and Social Geography of Russia, Faculty of Geography, Lomonosov Moscow State University; Leninsky Gory, 1, Moscow, 119991.
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Loktionov Kirill S., Bachelor’s Student, Department of Economic and Social Geography of Russia, Faculty of Geography, Lomonosov Moscow State University; Leninsky Gory, 1, Moscow, 119991.
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Vepritsky Alexander A., Bachelor’s Student, Department of Economic and Social Geography of Russia, Faculty of Geography, Lomonosov Moscow State University; Leninsky Gory, 1, Moscow, 119991.
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Alekseev Alexander I., DSc (Geography), Professor, Department of Economic and Social Geography of Russia, Faculty of Geography, Lomonosov Moscow State University; Leninsky Gory, 1, Moscow, 119991.
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Imangulov L.R., Kuksin Ya.K. New functions of coastal rural areas in southern Russia: On the example of the Temryuk district in the Krasnodar Region // The Russian Peasant Studies. 2023. V.8. №1. P. 104-130.

DOI: 10.22394/2500-1809-2023-8-1-104-130

Annotation

The article considers new functions of the coastal rural areas in southern Russia in the post-Soviet period. The authors identify regional features of the post-Soviet transformation of the coastal countryside, including the preservation of agrarian specialization and employment, growth of the rural population, new functions of rural areas, positive migration balance, etc. Based on the dynamics of the available social-economic indicators (investments in fixed assets, population, migration, etc.), the authors show the intensity of transformations at the district and settlement levels. The main social-economic actors of rural transformation are agricultural enterprises (wineries), tourism, ‘new Southerners’, port facilities, etc., which affect the main components of rural areas — land use, transport and social infrastructure, employment and local communities. At the intra-district level, the authors suggest a typology of rural settlements based on the dynamics of transformations in the post-Soviet period and prevailing functions (recreational, agro-industrial or multifunctional). In the final part of the article, based on the in-depth interviews, the authors identify the post-Soviet trajectories of rural settlements of the same kind and administrative status but with different functions and locations — Golubitskaya, Starotitrovskaya and Taman. Based on the multi-scale analysis of the local rural transformations, the authors emphasize the key role of the geographic factor in the functional typology of rural areas.

Keywords

Geography of rural areas, rural areas, multifunctionality, geographical factor, investments, Temryuk district.

About the author

Imangulov Linar R., Master’s Student, Department of Economic and Social Geography of Russia, Faculty of Geography, Lomonosov Moscow State University. Leninskie Gory, 1, Moscow, 119991.
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Kuksin Yaroslav K., Bachelor’s Student, Department of Economic and Social Geography of Russia, Faculty of Geography, Lomonosov Moscow State University. Leninskie Gory, 1, Moscow, 119991.
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Vinogradsky V. G., Vinogradskaya O. Ya. Farming and the rural world: A generational change // The Russian Peasant Studies. 2022. V.7. №1. P. 131-145.

DOI: 10.22394/2500-1809-2022-7-1-131-145

Annotation

The authors systematize the types of circumstances which explain the objective change in rural (in particular farmer) generations of new Russia. Farming is considered in the double linguistic perspective — as a general definition and as a name of agrarian economic practices in their historical evolution. The authors examine the specific form of the legislative consolidation of the concept of farming, which directly indicates its transitive social-cultural mission; analytically assess the potential of the generational approach to the study of farming; suggest some key features of the new farming world and the ways of life which the next generation of farmers would choose. The authors conclude that the existing farming ‘society’ has accumulated a potential of changes which have already passed the initial approbation and can ensure the development of various, including very promising, activity models, forms and patterns for the future.

Keywords

Farming, generational approach, generation, peasant economy, farmer, rural world, rural areas, everyday life practices.

About the authors

Vinogradsky Valery G., DSc (Philosophy), Leading Researcher, Center for Agrarian Studies, Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration. 119571, Moscow, Vernadskogo Prosp., 82.
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Vinogradskaya Olga Ya., Researcher, Center for Agrarian Studies, Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration. 119571, Moscow, Vernadskogo Prosp., 82.
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Ershov A. M. European approach to the regulation of mountainous rural areas // The Russian Peasant Studies. 2021. V.6. №4. P. 164-184.

DOI: 10.22394/2500-1809-2021-6-4-164-184

Annotation

The article considers European initiatives and development programs for mountainous areas, and also changes in the approaches to the development of rural areas in the international debates. The author examines the structure and tasks of the EU rural development strategies and programs, the macro-regional and state mountain policies. The author suggests a typology of the national mountain policies’ development in European countries, and provides references on the contemporary development programs for mountainous areas focusing on the main factors of rural transformation. The article also presents a list of projects in mountainous rural areas of the EU by country.

Keywords

Rural areas, mountainous areas, development programs, strategies, European experience, Europe, mountain policy, rural policy, transformation, sustainable development, rural revitalization.

About the author

Ershov Alexey M., Master’s Student, Department of Economic and Social Geography of Russia, Moscow State University, 119991, Moscow, Leninskie Gory, 1.
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Chuchkalov A. S., Mishchuk S. N., Grelya N. K. Factors of suburban rural areas turning into a depressed region (on the example of the Birobidzhan district in the Jewish Autonomous Region) // The Russian Peasant Studies. 2021. V.6. №4. P. 125-135.

DOI: 10.22394/2500-1809-2021-6-4-136-163

Annotation

Based on the results of field studies, the authors consider the post-Soviet transformations of the territorial organization of suburban rural areas in the depressed Far Eastern region (Birofeld and Valdheim rural administrations of the Birobidzhan district in the Jewish Autonomous Region). Transformations of rural areas are considered as determined by multidirectional factors divided into “external” (general) and “internal” (local). The article describes an impact on the countryside of such “external” factors as urbanization, changes in the specialization of agriculture and in the administrative-territorial and municipal structure, optimization of social services, changes in rural infrastructure and external institutional conditions for development. When considering the “internal” (local) factors of transformations, the authors identify differences in the social structure of migrants from Birobidzhan to the suburban countryside. The changes in the structure of the rural population by spheres of employment and prevailing sources of income are presented as a result of the combination of factors. Some changes in the lifestyle of the rural population are described. Based on the assessment of the impact of different factors on the depopulation, the authors suggest some management measures. The authors conclude that the Birobidzhan district is a rare Russian example of the agricultural suburban territory in relation to the regional center, of the countryside with a reducing number of functions.

Keywords

Rural areas, depopulation, suburban areas, transformation factors, ruralurban migration, rural employment, rural society, rural settlement, Jewish Autonomous Region, Birobidzhan, subsidiary plots, marginalization.

About the authors

Chuchkalov Alexander S., Master’s Student, Department of Economic and Social Geography of Russia, Lomonosov Moscow State University. 119991, Moscow, Leninskie Gory, 1.
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Mishchuk Svetlana N., PhD (Economics), Senior Researcher, Institute for Demographic Research, Federal Centre for Theoretical and Applied Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 119333, Moscow, Fotieva St., 6, bldg. 1; Senior Researcher, Institute for Complex Analysis of Regional Problems, Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 679016, Birobidzhan, Sholem Aleichem St., 4.
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Grelya Nataliya K., Master’s Student, Department of Economic and Social Geography of Russia, Lomonosov Moscow State University. 119991, Moscow, Leninskie Gory, 1.
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Gusakov T.Yu. Migrations as the main factor in the transformation of the settlement system of the Crimean Peninsula // The Russian Peasant Studies. 2021. V.6. №2. P. 99-120.

DOI: 10.22394/2500-1809-2021-6-2-99-120

Annotation

For centuries, people have been moving from place to place for a variety of reasons, which created both permanent and temporary population of the entire habitable space. Due to these migrations, settlements appear and disappear —auls, villages, towns, cities, megapolises, etc. Moreover, migrations create a settlement system of a certain territory, which is gradually transforming. And since each territory has its own features of the social-economic development, the patterns of settlement systems also differ by region. The article considers the evolution of the settlement system of the Crimean Peninsula under the influence of migrations. The settlement systems are compared and analyzed based on the models of the settlement network for different years, which allows to assess the impact of migrations at different stages of the historical development. Over the past 250 years, the settlement system of the Crimean Peninsula has undergone significant changes: from small settlements with foci of animal husbandry—to the medium-sized and in some places large settlements. The author identifies the main stages in the transformation of the settlement network of the Crimean Peninsula and analyzes the development trajectories of some types of settlements.

Keywords

Geography of rural areas, migrations, rural areas, resettlement, rural resettlement, settlement network, geo-information systems.

About the author

Gusakov Timur Yu., Researcher, Center for Agrarian Studies and Center for Prospective Sociological Research, Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration; PhD Student, Geographical Faculty, Lomonosov Moscow State University. 119571, Moscow, Vernadskogo Prosp., 82.
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Nefedova T.G. Polarization of the social-economic space and prospects of rural areas in the old-developed regions of Central Russia // The Russian Peasant Studies. 2021. V.6. №1. P. 126-153.

DOI: 10.22394/2500-1809-2021-6-1-126-153

Annotation

The article is based on the presentation made on March 11, 2021 at the scientific seminar of the Chayanov Research Center and the Center for Agrarian Studies of the RANEPA. The presentation summarized publications based on the research supported by the Russian Science Foundation (project No. 19-17-00174 “Development of the old-developed regions under the social-economic polarization and the reduction of the developed space of European Russia”). The research aimed at identifying challenges and consequences of the Russian spatial polarization for rural areas at different levels – from regional to local – on the example of Central Russia (including the Moscow Region and its neighboring regions). The author considers features of rural areas in Central Russia, describes trends of their development and consequences of the longterm rural depopulation which was especially strong around the Moscow Region. The author focuses on different types of migration (interregional, intraregional and international) and their reasons; identifies centers of the contemporary population concentration; describes the transformation of agriculture in these regions, its organizational and spatial changes, the main trends in the decline and revival of agricultural production and its impact on rural settlement; proves that the polarization of rural areas affects all levels – regions, municipal districts and settlements. The article is based on the integrated approach that considers rural areas in their interaction with cities: the influence of urban investments on the development of rural areas, the increasing concentration of the rural population in the suburbs, the role of summer residents in the redevelopment of rural areas and in the preservation of rural settlements. Finally, the author assesses the consequences of the authorities’ decisions for rural areas. 

Keywords

Old-developed regions, cities, rural areas, agriculture, population migration, land use, summer residents.

About the author

Nefedova Tatyana G., DSc (Geography), Chief Researcher, Institute of Geography, Russian Academy of Sciences. 119017, Moscow, Staromonetny per., 29.
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Smirnova A.A. Light, water and playgrounds: Local initiatives in the Tver Region as reflecting the territorial challenges // The Russian Peasant Studies. 2020. V.5. №2. P. 151-158.

DOI: 10.22394/2500-1809-2020-5-2-151-158

Annotation

The author continues the study of the Local Initiatives Support Program in the Tver Region, which was started in 2016. Based on the rural settlements’ participation in this Program from 2013 to 2018, the author drew a map and made conclusions about the rural population activity. However, according to the field data, rural residents rarely propose projects; therefore, the map presents rather the activity of local administrations. The article focuses on contradictions and difficulties in the implementation of local projects in different municipalities. The survey and expert interviews in the municipalities of the Tver Region showed that the general idea of the Program differs from the results of its regional implementation for participation in the Program was very difficult for many municipalities due to bureaucratic obstacles. The proper application and achievement of the required results including involvement of local communities were as difficult for many administrations as ensuring the project information support which was one of the necessary conditions for getting a regional subsidy. Moreover, there are differences in the directions of the rural development compared to the European LEADER approach: LEADER projects usually do not focus on the infrastructural development and aim primarily at the small business development, preserving the cultural heritage and increasing the tourist attractiveness of rural settlements.

Keywords

Local Initiative Support Program, Tver Region, local initiatives, rural areas, activity of the rural population, rural development, LEADER approach

About the author 

Smirnova Alexandra A., PhD (Geography), Assistant Professor, Tver State University. Zhelyabova St., 33, Tver, 170100.
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Vinogradsky V.G., Vinogradskaya O.Ya. Ecology of the rural world in the perception of peasants // The Russian Peasant Studies. 2019. V.4. №1. P. 70-97.

DOI: 10.22394/2500-1809-2019-4-1-70-97

Annotation

The article considers environmental issues in rural areas of some Russian regions throughout the last century. The distinctive feature of this research is that the ecological history of rural areas is reconstructed through the reflections of peasants that are constantly involved and acting in the rural everyday life. The authors analyze a large number of narratives collected in the sociological expeditions during the last 25 years, and suggest to consider the environmental issues in rural areas in different historical periods not only as a continuous search of the societies for their place “in the family of nature” but also as a gradual enclosure of societies from nature. The authors divide the ecological history of Russian rural areas in the last century—early 21st century into four periods approximately equal in duration: “old” or “communal-individual” period (1929–1931); “new” or “collective-farm and state-farm”—from the beginning of collectivization to the late 1950s—early 1960s; “mature” or “late-collective-farm”—from the early 1960s to the early 1990s; “the newest” or “farmer-agroholding”—from the agrarian reforms of the 1990s–2000-s to the present time. The article presents a general picture of the social-environmental situation in a number of key regions of rural Russia during the first three periods. The authors believe that “the newest” or “farmer-agroholding” period in the ecological history of Russian villages needs a special study due to the radical changes determined by it.

Keywords

rural ecology, rural world, environmental issues, rural areas, economic practices of peasant households, environmental institutions, environmental behavior, local ecosystem

About the authors

Vinogradsky Valery G., DSc (Philosophy), Senior Researcher, Center for Agrarian Studies, Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration. 119571, Moscow, prosp. Vernadskogo, 82.
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Vinogradskaya Olga Ya., Senior Researcher, Center for Agrarian Studies, Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration. 119571, Moscow, prosp. Vernadskogo, 82.
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Russian Peasant Studies. Scientific journal

Center for Agrarian studies of the Russian Presidental Academy of National Economy and Public Administration (RANEPA)

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