printMotives, Directions and Consequences of Geographical Mobility on the Life Course of Russian Generations Based on The Results of In-Depth Interviews
Voronina N.S.
Cand. Sci. (Sociol.), Leading Researcher, Institute of Sociology of FCTAS RAS; Leading Researcher, Institute for Comparative Social Research (CESSI) Moscow, Russia navor@bk.ru
Work on this paper was supported by Russian Science Foundation Project No. 23-18-00635.
Voronina N.S. Motives, Directions and Consequences of Geographical Mobility on the Life Course of Russian Generations Based on The Results of In-Depth Interviews. Sotsiologicheskie issledovaniya [Sociological Studies]. 2025. No 12. P. 106-120
Drawing on in-depth interviews with respondents who moved at least once in their adult lives, this article analyzes the motives, directions, and consequences of geographic mobility. This topic is particularly relevant given the desire of one in four Russians to move to another city, coupled with the persistently low level of geographic mobility in the country [Voronina, Kozharin 2025]. This approach allows us to demonstrate the connection between motives for geographic mobility and their consequences, emphasizing the contextuality and fluidity of decisions in the context of political change and the turbulent times during which the move occurred. The semantic content of possible motives for geographic mobility is clarified (for example, it is shown that family-related motives for relocation include separation from the parental family, care for relatives, reunification with family members, etc.). It was shown that the consequences of relocation are closely linked to the informants’ starting opportunities: in families with high levels of accumulated capital (economic, cultural, and social), relocations were predominantly to larger cities or metropolitan areas and were one-time events. The motive for relocation was linked to the choice of destination and was part of the motivation for the move and a life choice. The destination of the move was not always a factor in the motivation and life choice (random selection). The success of a move is also influenced by whether the decision to move was made consciously or spontaneously. Spontaneous moves are more common among young people – after finishing school – and are more often associated with negative consequences of the move and a subsequent return home. In contrast, in those over 20, moves are most often planned with the family, and after 25, they are a more independent, deliberate decision. These interviews suggest greater opportunities for moving to different regions of Russia during the Soviet era (compared to today’s reality) due to the incentive system for developing new territories and shared collectivist values that encourage relocation in the interests of society. However, narratives noted greater difficulties in living and settling in the capital during the Soviet era, compared to today’s opportunities for geographic mobility.
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