COUNTRY LIFE: Drivers, Barriers And Prospects

Since the spring of 2020, the global environment has made many people change their place of residence and move to the countryside. This has not only been for reasons connected to job loss due to Covid-19, but also because lockdowns caused “comfortable distancing” in the open air. The pandemic and especially the lockdown significantly changed attitudes towards dachas (seasonal, or second homes). People wanted to escape from their four walls, spend more time in nature, and have safe contact with their families, so freedom on their own plot turned out to be a good solution. We will tell you about the changes in the Russians’ preferences for country life.  

KEY TAKEAWAYS 

• People’s movement to their dachas, or countryside homes, during the coronavirus pandemic has caused a number of trends to develop: the focus on digital detox, healthy lifestyles, and comfortable outdoor recreation with  family and friends. 

•  The underdeveloped countryside infrastructure, limited mobility using public transport, and the high cost of property maintenance prevent people from staying in the country on a permanent basis.  

• The main tasks people face after moving to their dacha are to create the most comfortable life for their family in nature – to the same level as in the city – while combining opportunities to work, create and garden in one place.  

• To create the most comfortable living conditions, dacha owners invest in their houses, renovating them and their land plots, which triggers a high demand for DIY building products. People more often buy gardening and landscaping goods. 

• Large-scale internal migration contributes to local business development. 

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