Creative Hubs as Third Places in Russian Regions

Abstract

The article studies the role of creative spaces in Russian regional centers with a high level of youth migration, namely, Pskov, Petrozavodsk, and Syktyvkar. The presence of creative spaces can serve as one of the factors of the city development, influencing the attractiveness of the region for tourism and investment and defining migration dynamics. This study analyzes creative spaces in small towns. The authors consider creative spaces through the prism of creative economy research and the concept of the great good places, or third places. Using the case study method, the authors analyze creative spaces with a focus on the regional specifics of their organization and interaction with local communities. The empirical base of the study consists of 45 semi-structured interviews (23 interviews with young people, 11 expert interviews, and 11 interviews with organizers and employees/volunteers of the creative clusters), as well as observation diaries. The analysis revealed two types of organization of spaces: (1) “from above” — at the initiative of city authorities, and (2) “from below” — by small initiative groups of citizens. Creative spaces are a separate form of third places performing a communicative function and providing local communities with a platform for self-expression and the production of local identity, which could be one of the deterrent factors for young people in the region.

Acknowledgments. The study was supported by the Russian Science Foundation within the framework of the project “Choosing Life Strategies by Talented Young People and Their Role in Improving the Competitiveness of Russian Regions as a Response to the Global Challenges of the «Brain Drain»” held by the Center for Youth Studies at the HSE University, St. Petersburg. The authors thank colleagues from the Center for Youth Studies who participated in the collection of empirical data.