Family homesteads and sustainable development of rural areas in the post-COVID era

In recent decades, in the rural areas of Russia and some other states, a new form of land management - family estates - has been developing. This form, without a legal status, has significant distinctive features from farms and horticultural associations. Family estates form entire settlements, functioning on the principles of preserving family values, master's motivation, cooperation, and environmental friendliness. Coronavirus crisis has exacerbated the desire of residents of large urban agglomerations to move to live in rural areas. The authors investigate the features of the current state of management of the settlements of family estates and their prospects in the post-COVID period. The aim of the work is to assess the potential of family homesteads in the formation of conditions for sustainable development of rural areas. The paper assesses the current state and forms of economic activity of settlements of family estates based on the results of the survey authors (structured interviews). The authors analyse the current and potential impact of family homesteads on sustainable rural development. The conclusion is made that under certain conditions, family estates can serve as one of the significant elements of the model of the future society in the post-COVID era.