On May 14, 2020 an on-line session held of the regular seminar "Migration studies"organized by the Higher School of Economics Institute of Social Policy

Yu. Florinskaya, Ph.D. in Geography, Senior Researcher at the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration N. Mkrtchyan, Ph.D. in Geography, Senior Researcher at the Institute of Demography, Higher School of Economics “Migration in small and medium-sized Russian cities – the main trajectories and unresolved issues”

The population of small and medium-sized cities in Russia is steadily declining as a result of migration. There are several main migration paths: 1) leaving for study after graduating from high school (and, less often, after graduating from grade 9); 2) leaving at an older age; 3) leaving at retirement age (to live with one’s children); 4) leaving for temporary work (rotation shift work).

At the same time, these cities are migration destinations for newcomers from neighboring rural and even smaller urban settlements, which to some extent compensates the outflow of residents. 
After studying in large cities, only a small proportion of “study migrants” return home, but such instances are not negligible in number. Is this a consequence of personal failure, the falling through of their previous plans, or, perhaps, a predetermined strategy? Will the exodus of people from small towns for rotation shift work continue at a relatively high level, or will this strategy cease to be relevant in the future?

Information about the seminar may be found on the website https://isp.hse.ru/migrissled