The Stolypin Institute of Economic Growth studied the motivations for internal migration of young people

Institute of Economic Growth named after. Stolypina P.A. studied the motives of internal migration of young people, paying attention not only to moves to capitals, but also to returns to small towns. The authors came to the conclusion that what often forces young people to move to a large city is not the low level of wages and difficulties in finding employment, but the underdevelopment of leisure and infrastructure. What can keep a small town going is its “objective properties”: good ecology, lack of rush and noise. Based on the data obtained, sociologists have prepared a number of recommendations for the development of small towns, the emphasis of which is on the value of the “new provinciality.” Experts note that the development of small settlements is beneficial for economic growth, but add that it is “naive” to expect their attractiveness to increase in the near future.

Researchers at the Stolypin Institute for Economic Growth (established in 2016) analyzed the reasons for the internal migration of Russian youth. They interviewed 186 people in ten cities of Russia: including Bratsk, Irkutsk, Krasnoyarsk, Minusinsk (Siberian Federal District, “in conjunction” with Moscow) and Pskov, Pikalevo, Petrozavodsk and Velikiye Luki (Northwestern Federal District, “in connection” “with St. Petersburg). To conduct focus groups, points were selected that were located on migration flows directed from small towns to capitals through the regional center. Cities were also selected according to the criteria of the most noticeable population growth/decrease according to Rosstat data. The authors of the study emphasize that this is a qualitative study: “It does not show a statistical cross-section of young people across the country; “We conducted interviews with young people to find out their motivations, find similarities in the logic of decision-making, and notice common phrases that they use to describe their actions,” the authors explain. In the future, sociologists do not exclude, the study can be continued in more depth, with an emphasis on statistical calculations, however, “our focus will still remain in-depth interviewing of respondents to create a concept for the development of small towns, which could be brought to the federal level.”

The main reason for moving to a large city was the poverty of the cultural and leisure sphere of small towns, the state of transport and medical infrastructure and the unkempt urban environment (36% of such answers in the Siberian Federal District and 31% in the Northwestern Federal District). Low wages and difficulties with employment were only in second place (19% and 27%). The authors claim that this is the first study that attempted to study not only centripetal, but also centrifugal migration (that is, moving from large cities to small ones). Favorable environmental conditions, territorial compactness, freeing up time for life, a calm atmosphere and better social connections are the “anchors” that keep young people in small towns (23% in the Siberian and 17% in the Northwestern Federal District).

Anton Sviridenko, executive director of the Stolypin Institute for Growth Economics, commenting on the results of the study, notes that in the current circumstances, for sustainable development of the economy and production, it is necessary to make small cities attractive for relocation. “The study confirmed our guesses that it will not be possible to lure young people to provincial cities with just the level of salaries,” says the economist. “People need meaning, which should be emphasized in the development of such cities.” Mr. Sviridenko believes that the concept of “new provincialism” should focus on the “coziness and comfortable rhythm” of small towns and a departure from the idea that “success is associated with a metropolis.” According to him, mayors of small cities often mistakenly consider the only opportunity to “lure people” to offer increased salaries, which are inadequate to the local labor market. In fact, people considering moving to a small town from a regional center or metropolis most often “lack a clear image of the city and intangible reasons to love it.” In everyday life, small towns should strive to be part of the agglomeration and develop infrastructure, including transport links with neighboring cities and regional centers, says Anton Sviridenko.

Business Ombudsman Boris Titov (heads the coordination council of the Stolypin Institute) notes that the coronavirus pandemic that broke out in 2020 “greatly accelerated the realization that in the modern world it is no longer necessary to “go to work”: “Informatization has given specialists the opportunity to work efficiently from any point where there is Internet: we are talking specifically about ordinary regional centers, which are now not at all necessary to leave for successful work,” explains Mr. Titov. He is confident that this “global” trend should become one of the pillars in the development of small towns.

Sociologist, founder of the Platform social design center Alexey Firsov notes that internal migration of young people is a natural process for the whole world, which can be very useful for economic development. “Young people study, look for themselves, constantly moving for this purpose,” the expert reflects. “If they are evenly distributed throughout the country, this will also help to develop the territories evenly.” It is premature to talk about the formation of a trend towards relocation to small towns, according to Mr. Firsov: “Having lived in the capital, even under the pressure of the pace of life, you still get used to a certain level of cultural development of the people around you and the urban environment, which in small towns most often does not exist and is approximately . It’s often not the people who are not ready to return, but the small towns themselves.” However, he cites the examples of Norilsk, Almetyevsk and Tobolsk as cities where businesses are investing, making them more attractive to relocate to. “This is often a story about the “third leg” of city development: budget financing and large-scale production are not enough for sustainability, some other sector of the economy is needed,” he explains. “They often rely on tourism, but this is not very reliable. Finding the optimal “third leg” should be paramount in plans to increase the attractiveness of small communities.”

Professor of the Department of Economic and Social Geography of Russia, Faculty of Geography, Moscow State University Natalya Zubarevich believes that in the coming years it is “pointless” to wait for a trend for the development of small towns. “Since Soviet times, 70% of internal migration has been due to young people,” explains the expert. “But in modern Russia, for many years, everyone has been striving for two points: Moscow and St. Petersburg, and less often – to the nearest regional centers. It’s naive to think that young people, or anyone in general, will decide to go to small towns with their level of infrastructure and salaries, as well as to expect that the situation can be quickly corrected and made more attractive.”

Polina Yachmennikova