ИСТИНА

The aim of the paper is to present preliminary results derived by the team conducting the research project "Sustainable development of small and medium-sized businesses in the face of big challenges" funded by the National Research Lobachevsky State University of Nizhny Novgorod. In particular, the responses of Russian small and medium enterprises to the challenges caused by Covid-19 in the tourism market are in the focus. Since many experts claim that the pandemic is more likely to affect small businesses than large ones, it is important to understand SMEs' ways to survive, their assessment of the state support measures, and probably their opinion on opportunities and new niches arising in new conditions of pandemic and post-pandemic world.