CULTURAL AND LEISURE PREFERENCES OF THE POPULATION OF THE VOLOGDA REGION

Abstract

The article presents the results of a study of cultural and leisure preferences of the Vologda region population, taking into account the territorial specifics. The empirical basis of the work was the data from a sociological survey conducted as part of the “Monitoring of the economic situation and social well-being of the Vologda region population for 2024” ( n = 1500), as well as official statistics and national public opinion polls. It has been established that the dominant forms of leisure in the region are informal communication (“meetings with friends”) and passive recreation. Territorial differences have been identified: for residents of large cities (Vologda, Cherepovets) active and social forms of leisure are more typical, whereas in rural areas passive practices and household management prevail. Cinema is the most popular among the population, while both Soviet and modern Russian films and TV series are positively evaluated. Interest in literature, on the contrary, is weakly expressed. Digitalization is transforming cultural consumption, but the Internet is mainly used for communication and news, rather than for the consumption of “high” cultural products. The study also showed that a significant part of the respondents noted a decrease in the number of cultured people in their environment, especially in Vologda. In the mass consciousness, a “cultured person” is associated with good manners, politeness, education and erudition. The results emphasize the need to take regional specifics into account when developing cultural policy.