Changing the Value of the Dacha in the City-Suburban Space: An Analysis of Khabarovsk Media

Abstract

This article studies the modes of use of the dacha and its functions based on material from Khabarovsk. A brief overview of the history of dachas in Russia and a more detailed one of Khabarovsk are given. Almost all Khabarovsk dachas are located near the city due to the undeveloped character of more distant territories. The popularity of dachas in Khabarovsk is historically due to the rural roots of many citizens and the Soviet and post-Soviet shortage of food. Large dacha arrays are located on the Amur islands, so these are the focus of the author’s discussion. Their use is associated with inaccessibility, expensive maintenance and constant risk of flooding. However, the author notes an almost irrational, non-pragmatic commitment to these dachas. Today, in Khabarovsk, the reason for maintaining a dacha is not so much the economic benefits (fruit and vegetable crops for consumption or sale), as leisure, communication with family and friends, and the preservation of family traditions. The author also notes the processes of suburbanization in Khabarovsk characteristic of the country as a whole, in particular the outflow of the population to the suburbs for permanent living.