Resources for rural settlement development in modern Russia

Abstract

In the 21st century, rural population in Russia as a whole continues to decline. However, different levels of urbanization and different rates of its change across regions indicate the heterogeneity of processes and the influence of many factors. The main trends are completion of the withering away of the traditional rural lifestyle, mixing urban and rural lifestyles in the suburbs with predominance of the former (summer cottages, cottages), gravitation of rural economic activity towards the zones of influence of agglomerations, development of an economic base not related to agriculture: seasonal work, tourism and recreation, traditional crafts, remote work, creative projects. Technological progress, development of means of online dissemination of technologies and know-how, withdrawal of industrial production from large cities and their miniaturization allow us to discuss the prospects for development of industries in rural areas that satisfy a significant part of the local demand for consumer goods and the need for certain types of equipment. The course towards a reasonable regional economic autonomy will allow increasing the proportion of local agricultural products in the regional diet, which also requires development of cooperation of small agricultural producers and diversification of sales channels. To ensure competitiveness of rural areas as a habitat in relation to cities, it is necessary to ensure connectivity of those areas with central localities and provision of modern infrastructure, amenities, access to education, healthcare and high culture. This can be facilitated by modern solutions that are currently at varying degrees of implementation in different countries of the world (such as distance forms of education, healthcare, exhibitions, performances; crowdfunding projects) and by the solutions from the recent past that have not found sufficient implementation (for example, local aviation, regional tours of artists and performers).