Escape from the City: Practices of Adaptation to Rural Life and Their Online Representations

The restrictions introduced in 2020 due to COVID-19 pandemic have significantly contributed to forming an increased demand for nonurban housing and an interest in moving to rural space with the prospect of permanent residence as well as contributed to filling daily life with multifaceted online practices. Due to the increased potential for migration to rural space, this study proposes to investigate counterurbanization within its online representations by focusing on personal online blogs of former city dwellers within Yandex.Zen platform. This study uses qualitative methodology. It aims to reveal the way migrants’ practices of adaptation are constructed. Motivations for moving to rural space as well as adaptation practices to this way of life which are presented in online blogs have been determined. The main topics touched upon by the migrants in their personal blogs are highlighted, conclusions concerning online blogs’ functions and the role they play in migrants’ lives are made. The results show that the existing set of motivations does not force an individual to make a move nonurban environment. A stimulus is necessary to activate the motivational set. These are mostly some undesirable events in the life of an individual. The study proposes a typology of adaptation practices which is based on the object that these practices are related to. A personal online blog for a migrant author performs multiple functions and can be regarded as a holistic “adaptation project”.