Historical Aspects and Modern Features of Internal Migration in Russia

Abstract

The article deals with internal migration in Russia both in the historical aspect and in its modern condition. The information basis of the study is based on the publicly available statistical data of the Russian Federal State Statistics Service (Rosstat), as well as data from published materials in various publications. The study uses systematic and comparative-historical methods widely used in theoretical research in sociology. The article briefly shows the dependence of territorial population movement to different regions on the state policy and significant historical events in different periods, from the beginning of the second millennium to the present. Certain attention has been paid to the correlation between how intensely people change their permanent residence and the level and nature of urbanization. Various indicators of internal migration have been analyzed in order to increase the positive impact of migration processes on improving the demographic situation in the country as a whole. Population disparities between rural and urban populations, as well as different population densities in Russian regions, are of particular importance, including the concentration of population in a small area of its central part, including not only the capital, but also the surrounding regions. The phenomenon of deurbanization that has emerged in a number of regions in recent years and the stability of the Western drift process are discussed. Varying salary levels in relation to price levels are highlighted as an important factor of population migration. Special attention is paid to the Far Eastern part of the country, its history and prospects as a new center of attraction for migrants. Some effective measures to attract the population to this region are given at the end of the article, which are primarily related to the need for effective management of the labour market.