Russian real estate owners on Bulgarian Black Sea Coast: culture and ethnic relations (the case of Tsarevo)

Abstract

Russian real estate owners in Bulgaria are about 300–500,000 people. This figure exceeds the number of Russian immigrants in Bulgaria in the period 1917–1922 by over 10 times. They are concentrated predominantly in the Black Sea Coast re- gion forming a specific ethnic group gradually strengthening their presence in the local cultural context. The present research is based on fieldwork conducted in the town of Tsarevo, SE Bulgaria (2013–2018), interviews, participant observation, and media data. Ethnic relations between the two communities are analyzed in the context of cultural proximity, shared Orthodox faith, linguistic similarity, and the long and complicated history of Russian–Bulgarian relations. Against the background of these positive factors, strict maintenance of ethnic boundaries, practices of disrespecting local rules, politicizing everyday communication, and strategies of deliberate isolation of Russians from local Bulgarians are registered.