MOSCOW, December 11. /TASS/. The trend of people migrating from large cities, where around 75% of the population currently lives, is expected in Russia amid new challenges, such as the coronavirus, that emerged in the country over the past several years, VEB.RF Chief Economist Andrey Klepach told TASS, adding that ecovillages and residential suburbs will become centers of attraction.

"So far, the trend of the population moving from rural areas to large cities [exists]. Another story is that the problems that have emerged due to COVID, to other [challenges], raise the issue that in the long-term the form of displacement will be changing in the future, and people from large cities will move to suburbs," he said.

Klepach expects the process to take more than five years. However, the first projects of ecovillages are already appearing in the country now as people move there from large cities, forming there a territory with education and development possibilities, he said, adding that satellite towns in particular, such as the Koltsovo science city near Novosibirsk, will probably become the most popular.