Leisure preferences of the modern Russian youth: a comparative sociological analysis

The paper deals with the leisure of the modern young people, which is one of the fundamental areas of their life. All aspects of the life of Russian society are transformed, and it leads to the social and cultural changes in leisure activities. A comparative sociological analysis of leisure studies revealed certain regularities and regional features of the youths’ leisure pursuits. For example, in Astrakhan region, the younger generation prefers being indulged in passive leisure (doing something on the Internet, listening to music, watching TV, reading) despite the fact that the Volga lowlands are famous for fishing and hunting. In Moscow region and the Republic of Buryatia, active leisure is the priority. Thus, 59.3 % of young citizens in Moscow are engaged in sports, the Buryat youth is fond of parkour, mountaineering, hunting. The regional features of the youth leisure are determined by the social and demographic characteristics, social processes, health, environment. However, it should be noted that the culture of leisure is the result of activities of a person, his desire to express himself, socialize with a contemporary society, i.e. to transform leisure into a way of finding a new hobby and acquiring knowledge, skills, and abilities. It is noteworthy that the main problems of leisure-time activities are very similar in different cities of Russia. The availability and the high cost of leisure services provided are often accompanied by their low quality and the lack of their diversity.