Russian Borderland Research Articles

From Empty Parking Lots to Border Fences: A Visual and Sensory Ethnography of the Finnish–Russian Borderscapes in ‘Times of Stress’

ABSTRACT This article studies everyday bordering processes at the Finnish – Russian border during ‘times of stress’, specifically, following the COVID-19 pandemic and the onset of the war in Ukraine. The research is grounded in ethnographic fieldwork conducted in the summer and autumn of 2022 in four border cities (Imatra and Lappeenranta in Finland, and Svetogorsk and Vyborg in Russia). The study centres on visual and sensory observations made during the fieldwork, as well as discussions taking place in local newspapers and their social media channels. The Finnish – Russian borderland is approached as a ‘borderscape’ – a site where borders are constructed, deconstructed and reconstructed in everyday life by heterogeneous agents. The research illustrates that the political context shaped the Finnish – Russian borderscapes concerning the material border landscape, people’s experiences and imaginations. The study argues that visual and sensory ethnography can add deeper and more nuanced layers to the understanding of borderscapes as well as provide alternative ways of conveying research findings.

Re-imagining Cross-Border Relations in the High North: The Case of Kirkenes

Kirkenes is a Norwegian small town located in the High North, bordering Russia. Since the fall of the Soviet Union, the people of Kirkenes have invested heavily in building relations and establishing close ties with their Russian neighbours. Following Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, the local community must adjust to a new reality. This article explores how conflicting narratives on Kirkenes as a border town inform local discourses on the town’s relationship with Russia, with reference to (1) the issue of Cyrillic Street signs in Kirkenes, (2) twin-city agreements with Russian towns, and (3) Russian access to the port of Kirkenes. Along with a focus on borderland narratives, the article leans on Makarychev & Kuznetsova’s distinction between structural, practical and popular geopolitics to show how cross-border relations at a local level are increasingly shaped by national and international political pressures, strengthening local frustrations and feelings of disconnect with national authorities. Furthermore, the article highlights the importance of history, local conceptions of history, and the weaponization of history in shaping cross-border relations in the Norwegian–Russian borderland.

Do we need a border wall? The social perception of ‘walling’ the Polish-Russian border after the outbreak of the war in Ukraine

ABSTRACT The project of progressive securitisation of the Polish – Russian borderland is implemented with huge support from local communities. Inhabitants of the Polish border area support all possible tools intended for the protection of the Polish – Russian border. The results also show that the war in Ukraine and potential threats of migration from the Kaliningrad Oblast change the social optics with regard to the border with Russia. The present paper seeks to investigate how the local communities of Polish border zone with Russia perceive the activities conducted in order to reinforce the defensive function of the Polish – Russian border. For this purpose, a survey was carried out among inhabitants of the Polish border area with Russia.

International tourism of the Russian borderland (2016–2019)

International tourism of the Russian borderland (2016–2019)

Образ «дальневосточного фронтира» в лирике П. С. Комарова

The aim of the study is to identify the specifics of the spatial and geographical image of the Far East in P. S. Komarov’s poetry from the perspective of the “frontier” vision. The paper substantiates the productivity of using the “frontier spectrum” for the analysis of regional lyrical poetry and provides an overview of the leading works in this field. Main attention is paid to the identification and analysis of the forms of artistic representation of the image of the Far East in Komarov’s lyrical poetry. The paper is novel in that it is the first to consider the author’s poetic world from the perspective of “frontier imagery”, to substantiate the role of extra-textual (geographical and historical-cultural) realia for the formation of the image of the frontier. As a result of the study, it has been found that the image of the Far East as a frontier territory of Russia is created by means of landscape, ethnopoetics, mythopoetics, toponymy, spatial markers (“east – west”, distance, “top – bottom”, etc.). The paper argues that the “frontier image” in Komarov’s lyrical poetry has a “double content”, combining the poetic vision of the region as a “Russian borderland” and at the same time as an inseparable part of the “Russian land”; it is shown that in relation to the image of the persona, “frontier characteristics” are associated with the theme of land development and border protection.

Switching Cars with the Militsiya and Other Ways the Finnish–Russian Borderland is ‘Lived’ by People in Their Everyday Lives

Borderlands differ from more central areas of states as they are affected by different border effects, such as cross-border flows and the intermingling of societies and cultures. Yet, the ways people experience and practice borderlands by attaching meanings to the material and social space have received relatively little attention. The present study focuses on the Finnish–Russian borderland as ‘lived’ by people in their everyday lives. It is based on ethnographic fieldwork conducted in the Finnish border cities of Imatra and Lappeenranta and the Russian border cities of Svetogorsk and Vyborg in 2017 and 2018. The main finding is that the participants’ cross-border practices are intertwined with personal and socially shared meanings that they associate with the borderland and places within it. These meanings also play an important role in the ways the participants form relationships with the borderland. The paper argues that research on borderlands needs to pay more attention to the ever-evolving relationship between people and space for deepening the understanding of the specificity of borderlands as living environments.

Fraud, Theft and Robbery on the Roads of the Russian-Belarusian Border Area of the 16th — 17th Centuries

Numerous sources of foreign origin, as well as the oral tradition of the Russian-Belarusian border area, draw a vivid picture of illegal acts committed on the roads of the 16—17th centuries. Fraud and theft act were the most common and least dangerous for travelers, while robbery committed on the roads threatened both the property and the life of the travelers. Travelers passing along the roads of the Russian borderland with Poland and Livonia had heard about the dangers of the way, armed themselves in advance, hid the most valuable things and documents, looking for reliable companions. The lands located in the border zone are more dangerous for travel, because here existed constant military threat and heavy traffic, which attracted criminals of various stripes.

Взаимодействие непроизводной лексики смоленских говоров и белорусского языка (неполные лексические соответствия)

The work is focused on specific underived nouns that are functioning in the Smolensk patois and in the Belarusian language at the present stage of the existence of these language systems and are quite close, but not identical formations in semantic and structural terms. The subject of the study is the volume of lexical meaning and potential derivational connections of nouns recorded in two synchronous language formations. The relevance of the study is determined by the complex history of the Russian and Belarusian borderland, which is reflected both in the Smolensk patois and in the Belarusian language, which had been created on the dialect basis. The vocabulary of the Russian and Belarusian borderland belongs to a single cultural and historical continuum de-termined by the history of the region, it reflects the diverse material and spiritual ties of the two language idioms’ speakers. The complexity of the historical relations between the two language systems, one of which is codified and has the status of an official language (Belarusian language), and the second exists only in an oral form and has a norm due to internal language laws of devel-opment (Smolensk patois), has led to the fact that when studying two language formations at the present stage, it is possible to speak not only about unambiguous types of relations between words, but also about peripheral types, about zones of various transitions, changes in lexical and grammatical semantics, which can potentially be points of development of two idioms in the future and are therefore valuable for study.

Roads of the Russian borderland in the description of Patrick Gordon

Roads of the Russian borderland in the description of Patrick Gordon

Methodological toolset for regulation of development of border areas based on comparative analysis of urban development systems of various zones of Russian borderland

Research is conducted on the border region, examining existing and forming systems of populated areas of Russia – Kazakhstan and Russia – China. In this case, the category of boundary (as one of the definitions of border) is a core element of transboundariness, while demarcation of the space serves as the main feature of the studied transboundary region (V. A. Kolosov was one of the first to introduce this concept into the Russian academic discourse) [5]. Transboundary region is viewed as a modern form of border cooperation. It is established that development of Russian borderlands (within the zone of research) takes place at different paces, which is associated with distinction by level of intensity by the border cooperation and integration ties. The work outlines vast differences in the level of development of the territory – border space is diverse and requires overcoming the existing disproportions. The scientific novelty lies in the fact that the author is first to determine and compare typological groups of the systems of resettlement characteristic to the border zones of Russia – Kazakhstan and Russia – China. The work also explores the specificity of development of these territories, based on which the author determines the methodological toolset for their possible further development. Analysis is conducted on the transboundary interconnections and formation of the systems of resettlement in the border area. The research outlines the meso-regions in the borderlands, defining development of promising settlements – hubs of border cooperation.

Lakes, presidents and shopping on mental maps: children’s perceptions of the Finnish–Russian border and the borderland

The Finnish–Russian borderland has transformed in the last three decades from two isolated national territories into a transition zone, where the ‘other’ culture and society is ever more present. This paper analyses what kinds of perceptions Finnish and Russian children have of the border and the borderland today. It also examines children’s territorial identifications in the borderland. The research is based on 263 mental maps collected from 9–15-year-old children in the cities of Lappeenranta (Finland) and Vyborg (Russia) and the village of Pervomayskoe (Russia) between 2013 and 2017. The analysis of the maps illustrates that the children participating in the study perceive the Finnish–Russian border mainly as a place for border crossings, although they continue to use the border as a tool for constructing socio-spatial distinctions. In this way, the children actively participate in processes of bordering and play an important part in the social life of the borderland. The participants’ perceptions of the borderland are connected to the national and local contexts that they live in but vary widely between individuals. The paper argues that the local border-related phenomena and children’s border-crossing experiences are increasingly relevant for their national and local identification processes. Besides providing novel information regarding Finnish and Russian children’s perceptions and identifications in the Finnish–Russian borderland, the paper adjusts the mental mapping method to a borderland context and enhances our understanding of the complexity of the bordering processes taking place in borderlands.

ETHNIC DIASPORAS: ADAPTIVE AND INTEGRATIVE POTENTIAL IN CROSS-BORDER REGIONS OF RUSSIA

The social significance of scientific studies of ethnic communities is conditioned by the increase of diasporas becoming a common stationary phenomenon in most countries of the world. The scientific discourse of the problem is aimed at analyzing the integral and conflict-causing aspects of the activities of modern diasporas, which will be determined by the specificity of the historical, socio-economic situation, region of residence, features of interethnic policy, etc. The goal of the article was to analyze evaluations of representatives of diasporas in six regions of the Russian borderland about success of adaptation and integration of migrants in the host community. The set of indicators included attitudes towards migrant children in educational institutions, opinions about the restriction or stimulation of migration in the regions, attitudes towards illegal migrants, the problem of national enclaves. The presented results are based on a systems approach, the theory of interdependence in the world development, the essence of which is the formation of the transnational structure of the world community. Conclusions about the adaptive and integration potential of regional diasporas are made, differential assessments on a number of socially significant issues thatdetermine the scientific field of the phenomenon of transit migration in the border areas of the Russian Federation under study are presented. The scientific novelty of the proposed results consists in the study of the role of ethnic communities, in comparison with the local population of the recipient countries, which can be used in forecasting the effectiveness of integration processes and providing the scientific basis for regulating the risk of interethnic conflicts. The practical significance consists in the possibility of optimizing the activities of diasporas for effective social management in the field of migration policy.

Structure and development of the Valmiera–Lokno Uplift – a highly elevated basement block with a strongly deformed and eroded platform cover in the East European Craton interior around the Estonian–Latvian–Russian borderland

Based on drillings, a number of geological cross-sections, and structure contour and isopach maps were composed to describe/analyse the structure and development of the Valmiera–Lokno Uplift (VLU), a basement block elevated up to 700 m with a heavily deformed and eroded platform cover in the East European Craton interior, along the regional Liepaja–Riga–Pskov Fault Zone (LRPFZ). Five isolated basement-cored anticlines (BCA), the Lokno, Haanja, Moniste, Valmiera and Smiltene uplifts, arise in the platform cover on the VLU, whereas the downthrown LRPFZ side defines a complex monoclinal fold. The anticlines, straddling or occurring near the monocline, merge with it and thus have highly asymmetrical shapes. Thickness changes of stratigraphic units across the VLU reveal its complex history, reflecting regional tectonic activation pulses that varied noticeably even between neighbouring BCAs. In all, the latest Precambrian–earliest Ordovician initiation epoch of the VLU was followed by modest tectonic activity or a standstill period in the Middle Ordovician–Early Silurian. Intensifying tectonic movements culminated again in the prime of the Caledonian Orogeny in latest Silurian–earliest Devonian time, and faded thereafter towards the end of Early Devonian. The VLU has been reactivated occasionally since the latest Devonian and emerges as a crustal weakness in the recent movement and seismicity patterns. To decipher the origin of the VLU, hitherto factually undiscussed topics, a more detailed study of the LRPFZ, analysis of its fault pattern and kinematics alongside the regional tectonic setting/history is needed. A cursory look hints to a substantial Early Paleozoic sinistral strike-slip along the LRPFZ, allowing interpreting the VLU as a possible restraining bend structure.

Dealing with Borderland Complexity. The Multisided Views of Local Individuals in the Norwegian–Russian Borderland

ABSTRACT Against the background of the transnational Barents Cooperation, the article explores the multisided views of borderland locals in Kirkenes. Based on semi-structured interviews, there were seven, partly contradictory, perspectives on Russians and a local orientation towards Russia. The same individuals expressed views that went beyond either endorsement, resistance or ambivalence on increased borderland integration. Rather, interviewees integrated several perspectives in different combinations to simultaneously express sentiments as different as skepticism, pragmatism, historical gratitude and local pride. The emphasis on multisided statements differs from some previous border studies that emphasize positioned and situational borderland identities and borderland experiences. Following Kurki (Kurki, T. 2016. Personal Trauma versus Cold War Rhetoric in the Finnish-Russian Borderland. In The Dynamics of Cultural Borders, ed. Anu Kannike and Monika Tasa. University of Tartu Press, 76), I argue that the repertoire of perspectives people related to conveyed layered meanings of the border that reflected a complex present and different historical periods. Beyond borderland contexts, paying attention to individuals’ expressions of different perspectives can contribute to increased understanding of seemingly contradictory attitudes.

ТЕРРИТОРИАЛЬНЫЕ ГРАДИЕНТЫ СОЦИАЛЬНО-ЭКОНОМИЧЕСКОГО РАЗВИТИЯ РОССИЙСКОГО ПОГРАНИЧЬЯ

The paper analyzes the socioeconomic differences that have developed in different parts of the Russian borderland. A comparative assessment of territorial gradients on both sides along the entire Russian border is carried out based on the analysis of the collected database of statistical indicators characterizing demographic, economic and social development, as well as foreign economic relations of the border regions of Russia and neighboring countries for 2000–2016. The growth of differences in the demographic potential in the Russian-Chinese and Russian-Kazakhstan borders is revealed. In the post-Soviet border regions, the strengthening of the process of turning the border regions economies towards their countries and increasing the marginality of the border zones, which complicates interaction and cooperation. It is established that the greatest gradients in the economic development were noticed on the old, inherited from the Soviet Union, borders in the European part of the country. By the case of the analysis of economic and trade relations between the border regions of Russia and neighboring EU countries, as well as China, it is shown that the greater the gap in demographic and socioeconomic indicators, the higher the probability of unequal economic relations.

THE IMPORTANCE OF STATISTICS FOR CRISIS MANAGEMENT

The security on the European Union territory is influenced by various elements such as: climate, nature, and society and their crisis events. The global warming phenomenon is responsible for increasing number of disastrous floods, fires, storms, or extremely high and long lasting heats lacerating lots of EU members. The health and lives of European population are also threaten by human initiated activities. These are industrial breakdowns and road accidents as well as war conflicts and terrorists attacks on Ukrainian Russian borderland, in Syria, Libya, and Afghanistan or in Eritrea. By its negative causes: mass illegal and non-controlled migration are affected not only Greece, Turkey, Macedonia, Serbia, Slovenia, Croatia, Austria, Germany and Scandinavia but also all EU Member States including the Slovak Republic. Almost one million of migrants in 2015 forms a mass of war refugees, economic migrants and infiltrated terrorists, who represent the biggest menace for Europe. The terrorist attacks in Paris prove the importance of fight against terrorism and preservation of Schengen borders to protect the European territory and its citizens. The authors of the paper analyse the importance of statistical data provided in the Slovak Republic which can be used as a basis for measurements and comparison of objective component of the security in county districts. They point at present situation of using statistical data by crisis management bodies of public administration. At the same time, they identify gaps in application system of accessible data that can serve as a basis for decision making process in prevention phases within crisis management of county districts. Final part of the paper presents some proposals of solutions to increase the statistical data assimilation in crisis management of public administration not only in the Slovak Republic but also on European territory.

Картографирование барьерной функции государственных границ

Abstract: The objective of the paper is to present the concept and structure of the virtual atlas of Russian borderland that makes possible analysis of the impact of borders, processes of integration and political challenges at the international and regional level on the development of Russian regions. It will include the maps at different scales and use multimedia technologies. It will be based on the principles of system crossborder analysis and allow regular updating of information. The paper describes the stages of creating the socio-economic indicators database, which became the basis for the virtual atlas. In addition, authors analyze the methods of evaluating and mapping the barrier function of the state border that is important due to growth of the contradiction between increasing territorial mobility of the population, growing shifts in identity and high barrier borders.

Constructing (Un)familiarity: Role of Tourism in Identity and Region Building at the Finnish–Russian Border

This paper investigates the role of tourism in the construction of (un)familiarity in Karelia at the Finnish–Russian borderland. From a historical perspective, it deals with a culturally homogenous space, which more recently became divided by the border into two nation states that differ politically, ethnically and linguistically. In the course of the Cold War, unfamiliarity was one of the tools used by the Soviet political elite in construction of national identity. However, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, when the border regime became liberalized and cross-border interaction began, familiarity became one of the key factors of the regional identity construction. The case of Sortavala, on which this study focuses, allows us to analyse how identity was constructed in official and media discourses. Although familiarity in the local context is more prominent, unfamiliarity is also at stake, not only in a negative sense, but also from a sense of curiosity about historical ties between the different parts of Karelia. This paper contributes to an understanding of EU external bordering politics. It also highlights the role of local actors in the (re-)construction and (re-)interpretation of borders. Tourism is seen as one of the facets of local identity formation. This study attempts to understand tourism-driven cross-border region-building processes.

Enacting Identities in the EU–Russia Borderland

Drawing on Rogers Brubaker’s theoretical analyses of “nationness” and nationalism in post-communist Europe, this article examines the dynamics of social identity within the nationally contested setting of the Estonian–Russian borderland. Since 1991, the city of Narva (96% Russophone by population) has customarily been defined (both politically and academically) in binary national terms as a “Russian enclave” within a unitary and “nationalizing” Estonian state. An ethnographic approach to the case, however, gives a rather different perspective, pointing to hybridity rather than nationality as the defining characteristic of identity politics within the city. In what follows, we bring to bear the results of extensive fieldwork carried out in Narva during 2006–2008. We first examine how different identity categories (local, national, meso-regional, and supranational) are being officially inscribed within Narva’s sites of memory. Thereafter, we focus on how these discursive-material articulations of place are implicated within the everyday performance of identity amongst the city’s population. Using the novel methodology of photo elicitation, we examine how residents of Narva appropriate but also subvert the identity categories that elites and outsiders (including ourselves as researchers) would seek to impose on them from above. This study (we argue) is significant for its methodological novelty, as well as in terms of giving a more nuanced understanding of Narva’s situation at a time of continued ethnopolitical contestation within Estonia as a whole.

Border Security in the Eastern Neighbourhood: Where Bio-politics and Geopolitics Meet

Abstract. This article takes a close look at the Justice and Home Affairs-related activities conducted under the European Neighbourhood Policy in the Ukrainian–Russian borderland. It argues that European Union initiatives directed at the management of Ukraine?s eastern border with Russia are driven by two related strategic objectives: 1) to confer greater visibility on the social and economic transactions taking place in the Ukrainian–Russian borderland, and 2) to alter the border regime, and by implication the border politics, between Ukraine and Russia in order to make it more compatible with EU interests in the eastern neighbourhood. In this context, the growing informationalization of the border by means of databanks, liaison officers and the involvement of private/quasi-public agencies is discussed, as is the conveying of EU norms, standards and best practices through legislative and technical approximation. By considering the strategic implications of EU involvement in the policing of the Ukrainian–Russian borderland, the article entertains the possibility that the ‘immigration diplomacy’ practised by the EU in the eastern neighbourhood can be made to serve more traditional foreign policy ends.