Both the noisy metropolis and the small town have their advantages and disadvantages, as well as life in the village. But most people today have a choice: you can be born in a small village, and live in the capital; or, on the contrary, to move from Moscow or St. Petersburg to a small provincial town, using, for example, the advice of Joseph Brodsky: “If you happen to be born in an empire, it’s better to live in a province by the sea ...” The “Women's Opinion” portal conducted a survey with the goal is to find out what the residents of large and small cities of Russia think on this issue.
To the question: "Where would you prefer to live?" only 36.6% of the inhabitants of the capital cities - Moscow and St. Petersburg - answered - in the metropolis. 37.4% of respondents wished to be in a small town, and 26% of metropolitan respondents want to become village residents ... Thus, more than 63% of the residents of the two capitals do not enjoy living in them.
The megalopolis attracts the stream of life seething in it. For those who like the crowded and fast-paced passage of time, the maelstrom of endless events surrounded by appealing advertising signs, sparkling lights of shop windows and nightclubs, large million-plus cities are perfect. Even such disadvantages as perpetual smog, traffic jams, a large number of visitors, public transport packed to capacity, are not an obstacle for them.
In megacities, it’s easier to earn a living, although it is more expensive here, but there are also more opportunities for finding work and entertainment. In the capital's cities, cultural life is in full swing: "Every free minute I enjoy the cultural life that is possible only in a large city with a wide selection of museums, theaters, concert venues and more" ...
The small town also has its charms, especially those who appreciate peaceful tranquility and smooth flow of life will especially appreciate them. And if there is nature nearby, in the form of beautiful embankments, green parks, squares and colorful flower beds, and not just an abundance of buildings made of glass and concrete, then life in such a city becomes even more attractive ...
Why do people choose small cities? “In the village it’s completely rotten, it’s very difficult to live in a megalopolis. There is a lot of fuss, you live without noticing life ... Therefore ... a small city,” is one of the opinions of the voting participants ...
Maybe that's why residents of small towns are in no hurry to settle in megacities, preferring to come there with a cultural program on weekends and for good money? Although, speaking of a small city, everyone keeps their numbers in mind. For some, a "small" is a town with a population of 30-200 thousand people, and for someone 400 thousand-1 million inhabitants - these are indicators of a small city ...
According to the same social. poll, residents of "small" cities also do not gravitate to the stormy metropolitan life. 42.7% of respondents want to stay in place, 29.1% would like to settle in the village and only 28.2% dream of a big city.
As for village life, it is not so simple. Someone believes that "it is difficult to live in the village. Well, there is his own farm and all that"; "Just not a village, I visited there, thank you, you can stretch your legs from such work, I live in a small town, and I would dream to live in a metropolis, but unfortunately these are just dreams." And someone, on the contrary, dreams of his house in the village, with a garden, next to a forest and a river ... and it would be nice if this "village" was somewhere in the capital's suburbs. Indeed, with the word "village" in the imagination of some, something "a la collective farm" appears, while others imagine an elite cottage village, with all that it implies ...
One of the best options, it seems, was recognized as the following: it would be nice to live "in a small town, but so that there is less than an hour's drive to the metropolis." Indeed, if you have your own car, this option becomes the most optimal: "I live and prefer to live in a small city. It’s calm, quiet and comfortable there. It’s an hour and a half drive to the big city."
Here, perhaps, is also not the worst option: "For making money, of course, a metropolis is better suited. But for the soul, let's say, retire - I want a house by the sea and a warm climate."
Thus, for life, many respondents choose a small city or a private house in the suburbs to live in the fresh air, surrounded by wonderful nature, and for work - a big city ...
The survey involved 1276 residents of Moscow and St. Petersburg, as well as 1827 respondents from 85 cities of Russia.
