Youth Expectations as a Component of Public Sentiment in Sustainable Rural Development Strategies: Evidence From the Siberian Federal District, Russia

This study investigates youth expectations regarding rural development in the medium- and long-term perspective, based on case studies from selected regions of Russia’s Siberian Federal District (Novosibirsk Oblast, Kemerovo Oblast–Kuzbass, Altai Krai, Republic of Tyva, and Irkutsk Oblast). Youth expectations are considered as a component of public sentiment that may influence the effectiveness of sustainable rural development strategies across different territorial, national, and ethnocultural contexts. The study relies on an integrative framework combining systems analysis and Vladimir Kvint’s concept of strategizing, with empirical data drawn from a 2025 cross-regional, comparative study of focus groups of university students in the Siberian Federal District. The findings reveal a pattern indicating a correlation between the socioeconomic development level of regional economies (including funding, territorial scale, demographic characteristics, and human resources) and young people’s willingness to live in rural areas for personal and professional development. The analysis shows predominantly negative assessments of social infrastructure across the surveyed regions, reflecting the limited attractiveness of rural areas and lifestyles for young people. The main conclusion is that the dominance of either the primary or secondary economic sector is a key determinant of rural attractiveness for young people in the medium- and long-term perspective.