Youth of the Arkhangelsk Agglomeration in the early 2020s: Life Strategies, Identity and Historical Memory

Abstract

The article summarizes the data of sociological surveys of urban youth, mainly at the age of 18-24, held in the largest agglomeration of the Arctic zone of Russia («Arkhangelsk agglomeration») in 2021-2023. Data characterizing the ethnic-language situation in the territory, features and state of regional and civil identity, historical memory in the youth environment. Particular attention was paid to the attitude of young people to the history of their own family or family, to the «places of memory» and the national holidays of the Russian Federation related to the history of the country. The article, the authors of which were also the beginning researchers, also includes the assessments of youth representatives on these aspects. In general, the commitment to urban youth of Pomorie to the basic traditional values such as family, love, work, friendship was confirmed. The stable and constructive nature of the processes of the formation of a new Russian civil identity is noted, the attitude of youth as a whole corresponds to the formula of the civil nation set by the edition of the Russian Constitution from 2020, but a decrease in indicators of regional identity was revealed. Also, in the form of expert proposals, recommendations are presented on the composition of urgent measures of a political, economic and informational nature, designed to ensure sustainable reproduction of the human potential in the cities of the AZRF European sector, including by attracting youth from other regions of Russia.