Migration from Urban to Rural Areas: the Phenomenon of “Counter-urbanisation” in Modern Russia

Abstract

Vasily Zvyagintsev — PhD, Chief Executive, Land Regulation and Development Union. Address: 8/2 Roshinskii St., Moscow, 115419, Russian Federation. E-mail: zvi@roszemproekt. ru
Maria Neuvazhaeva — Advisor, Ernst & Young LLC. Address: bldg. 1, 77 Sadovnicheskaya quay, Moscow, 115035, Russian Federation. E-mail: m. neuvazhaeva@gmail. com

This article critically analyses the process of counter-urbanisation in Russia, and presents the results of an empirical investigation with regard to the motives which drive urban populations to migrate to rural regions, the conditions of this process, and ways in which it affects rural communities.
Existing studies show that in Western developed countries counter-urbanisation usually has a positive effect on the socio-economic situation of rural regions. It appears to be especially the case during demographic and economic declines. It has also been established that the main motive for migration to rural areas is mostly of a non-economic nature.
However, our findings show that the process of counter-urbanisation in Russia is inherently different from that observed in Western developed countries. Russian urbanites are forced to migrate to rural areas mainly for economic reasons. Moreover, the process of counter-urbanisation in Russia is still in its developmental stage. On the one hand, the extreme dependence of rural areas on nearby cities makes it impossible for migrants to fully immerse themselves in rural life. On the other hand, such migrants constantly wonder whether life in a countryside is actually better than it was in the cities they left. Such hesitation forces migrants to give up on their long-term plans to stay in the countryside and eventually return to the city.
The empirical data for this study were collected in 13 Russian regions by means of interviews with 220 experts and 1000 urban dwellers. These interviews also reveal that a better economic situation in the Russian countryside could possibly attract more people to migrate from the cities. The experts tended to express more scepticism with regard to the possible benefits of such ‘artificial’ migration by means of improving economic situation.