The Eurasian Peoples’ Assembly sums up the First Results of a Comprehensive Study of Rural Areas

Within the project "Heritage of Eurasia: Cultural practices of rural Territories", implemented by the Eurasian Peoples’ Assembly with the grant support of the Presidential Foundation for Cultural Initiatives, a two-month stage of research on the practices of socio-cultural development of rural territories was held.

It was attended by residents of rural settlements from Udmurtia, Mordovia, Kyzylorda region of Kazakhstan and Chui region of Kyrgyzstan. The main purpose of the study was to identify opportunities for the development of rural areas in the socio-cultural dimension, to study socio-cultural practices, to identify key problems and points of growth in the conditions of the development of the ethno-cultural environment.

The methods of work are based on the analysis of journalistic and scientific materials, interviews with opinion leaders, activists implementing socio-cultural projects. The survey was conducted by a team of researchers consisting of staff and undergraduates of the Institute of History and Sociology of Udmurt State University and the National Museum of the Udmurt Republic (Izhevsk, Russia).

According to the head of the research group, Candidate of Historical Sciences, associate professor of Udmurt State University Yuri Perevozchikov, the study showed that "despite the presence of socio-economic and demographic problems - lack of work or unprofitability of rural labor, underdevelopment of infrastructure, outflow of young people to cities - rural lifestyle due to ethnic traditionalism, environmental friendliness, commitment to agricultural production remains attractive in the Eurasian space."

Researchers and informants also note the role of local communities, their initiatives and socio-cultural projects supported by the state and business in the integrated development of rural areas, in the introduction of a sustainable development model. The interviewed activists emphasize the importance of intercultural and interethnic communications, including on an interstate Eurasian scale, as a resource for the stability of ethnic rural territories.

The full material of the results of the study will be available in the publication of the online collection at the end of September. Now, based on the first results of the study, an educational program is being developed for the project, which will take place in early June in the format of a week-long educational tour along the route of rural territories "Udmurtia - Mordovia".