The Cities on the Border

the Ethno-Cultural Diversity Test the Cities on the Border of the Russian Federation (Part 2)

Abstract

In the second part of this article, the author examines the situation in Russia’s borderlands, focusing on the cities of Vladivostok, Khabarovsk, Astrakhan, Rostov-on-Don, Belgorod, and Kaliningrad. Since the end of the Soviet Union, these cities have been major arrival, departure, and destination points for migration to and from the central, southern, and western regions of the Russian Federation and abroad. Multidirectional migration in these cities has led to structural changes in their populations, their urban decline or rejuvenation, the emergence of new ethno-cultural groups, and the replacement of local populations by newcomers. This paper examines the personal values ​​of these cities’ inhabitants and their hierarchy of priorities. The author evaluates the mindsets of people who live in cities along Russia’s borders and who feel both the positive and negative impacts of the border’s proximity in their lives. She also takes a look at how these residents try to maintain social order and intercultural cohesion in light of migration waves, growing diversity, the spread of xenophobia, and a sense of uprootedness.