The Role of Organized Cottage Settlements in Suburbanization in Post-Soviet Russia

Abstract

The article examines patterns of formation of organized cottage settlements in the suburban areas of major Russian cities, including the evolution of their types and sizes, shifts in their spatial organization and way of life of the population. Particular attention is paid to the analysis of cottage suburbs in Moscow metropolitan area, where they are most developed, highlighting the specificity of settlements in New Moscow. In Russia, the formation of cottage suburbs spatially was spreading according to the principle of diffusion of innovations from the capitals. Starting from Moscow, they appeared around St. Petersburg, and since the mid-2000s in major cities and resort areas, especially on the Black Sea coast. As in Moscow suburbs, the formation of cottage settlements began in inner suburban area with a gradual territorial expansion. Virtually every major Russian city has its prestigious “Rublevka” cottage area, and many of them have a large number of cottage settlements located within the city borders. In the postcrisis period, there was a shift from elite cottages towards settlements focused on the wider middle class groups, stimulating the suburbanization.