Interregional Migration in Russia: An Application of the Gravity Model

Abstract

The objective of this study is to test the applicability of the gravity model on interregional migration patterns in the Russian Federation after the collapse of the Soviet Union. The results clearly show that geographical (gravity) factors critically affect migration decisions in Russia. Although several problems are involved, distance-decay effects on migration were significantly observed; hence, geographical factors must be taken into consideration when analyzing migration in Russia.