The Livestock Approach: Discussing How to Attract and Retain Youth in the Russian Far East at the Eastern Economic Forum

Despite government efforts, the population of the Russian Far East has not increased in the last 20 years, with a loss of 15% or 300,000 people. Experts discussed at the Eastern Economic Forum (EEF) how to prevent youth from leaving the region. Dmitry Alexeev, the head of DNS, uncompromisingly stated that most cities in the Russian Far East are not suitable for living due to the climate, with the exception of the southern Primorye and Sakhalin. For the rest, he suggested a shift work method. Roman Karmanov, the CEO of the Presidential Foundation for Cultural Initiatives, argued that people live here because they feel like guardians of Russia’s borders. However, Karmanov himself moved from the Russian Far East to Moscow, while Alexeev, a billionaire who could live anywhere, has no plans to leave Vladivostok.