PROSPECTS OF THE "UNPROSPECTIOUS": THE HIDDEN POTENTIAL OF SMALL TOWNS OF RUSSIA: A REVIEW OF THE COLLECTION OF ARTICLES: THE SOCIOCULTURAL POTENTIAL OF SMALL TOWNS OF RUSSIA / ED. M. F. CHERNYSH, V. V. MARKIN; FSRC RAS. Moscow: FSRC RAS, 2022. 212 p. DOI: 10.19181/SBORNIK.97

Abstract

This review focuses on the 2022 collection of articles, "The Sociocultural Potential of Small Towns in Russia," prepared by a team of authors from the Institute of Sociology of the Federal Research Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences (FRSC RAS) in collaboration with regional partners. It analyzes the results of sociological research on the current sociocultural aspects of everyday life in small Russian towns. Small towns in Russia are considered a specific (and largely unique) sociocultural phenomenon with a distinct rhythm of life, advantages, and disadvantages. The challenges hindering the effective development of small towns in our country and the potential for overcoming them are explored. It is shown that the sociocultural space of a small town directly depends on the overall level of socioeconomic development of the city and region. It concludes that the successful functioning of small towns is impossible without strong local government and ongoing interaction between regional authorities and representatives of urban communities. This publication will be useful not only to researchers but also to specialists in local government, as well as to representatives of regional and federal authorities.