HSE Publishing House

Aiming at critical understanding of the internet as both technology and sociocultural space, this book tells the story of the internet development in Russia’s cities. Through research expeditions to several large and small cities, the authors explore the significance of internet for local culture, business, governance as well as analyse changes in local media in the digital environment and the role of internet in maintaining local history and identity. Also, the book presents a method of qualitative field study of the multi-component phenomenon of the local internet and proposes methodological approaches and techniques that can be used in the future research. The book will be of interest to both researchers and students, as well as to a wider audience interested in the problems of digitisation and internetisation of life and the changes associated with these processes.