Cultural consumption as a parameter of the quality of life in a Russian megapolis

Abstract

The article presents the results of sociological studies of the level of subjective well-being of residents of the Russian metropolis (using the example of Nizhny Novgorod). The indicator of the level of well-being is one of the important parameters that city authorities and architects are now paying attention to when designing urban space. The purpose of the article is to determine how the residents of the metropolis assess the accessibility (physical, financial, etc.) of cultural institutions and products. Quantitative research methods are used to achieve this goal: surveys were conducted in which several thousand Nizhny Novgorod residents took part. The authors present a comparative analysis of the estimates of citizens with an interval of 10 years. The results of the analysis give an idea that the level of well-being in Russian megacities is changing slowly. The choice of Nizhny Novgorod is not accidental. The geographical and economic position of Nizhny Novgorod and the ethnocultural composition of the region make it possible to extrapolate the results of the study of a particular city to the major cities of Central Russia. Another significant factor in choosing the city was the fact that since 2021 Nizhny Novgorod has acquired the status of capitals – the “capital of sunsets”, “youth capital”, “cultural capital”. It is quite natural to ask how the status of the “capital” influenced the subjective indicators of satisfaction with the quality of life. The presented data help to get an idea of the specifics of cultural consumption of a resident of a modern Russian megalopolis, as well as the degree of his involvement in cultural production. The results of the study are also of practical importance in the design and modernization of urban space, as well as the optimization of social policy of the state.