The start of the Special Military Operation triggered a new migration wave in March 2022, which, thanks to the federal media, was dubbed "relocation". According to estimates by various research centers, the number of relocates who left Russia from February 24, 2022 to August 31, 2024 amounted to 1 million people. This study focuses on relocates who left for Israel. Against the general background, they were distinguished by special rights that the host party granted them and the impossibility of spontaneous relocation. The aim of the study was to identify the key factors facilitating the integration of relocates into the Israeli host community and to formulate options for integration strategies. A field study using repeated interviews was designed to address the following objectives: identifying the distinctive characteristics of Israeli relocates; identifying the relationship between the initial motives for relocation and its success over a specific time period; and developing recommendations regarding the most successful behavioral algorithm for relocates seeking to integrate into the Israeli host community. First, 16 informal interviews-acquaintances were conducted. Further, 10 follow-up interviews were conducted, during which respondents prepared maps of the city they live in, photos and videos of places they consider important for their integration, and even illustrations of these places. The time interval between the first and second interviews averaged 2 months. The follow-up interview method allowed us to observe the integration process in dynamics. Analysis of field data allowed us to formulate integration strategies that are conscious behavioral models and contain a specific set of actions that help the relocate achieve the goals set before moving. The main factors that both contribute to and hinder the integration of relocates into the host community in Israel were also identified.
The article analyzes the "Aso Project" (1968-69) of the Vienna School of Japan & ocy;logy as an attempt to synthesize various theoretical traditions in order to create a new methodology for studying Japan. The Vienna School, in contrast to the dominant philological-historical paradigm, initially positioned itself as ethnological and, in the postwar period, continued to maintain its closeness to ethnology. This episode in its history can be seen as a particular case of searching for a new research paradigm after the collapse of grand theory and amidst growing theoretical diversity. The theoretical basis of the project was a critical rethinking of two research approaches: American community studies, which were criticized for their inability to connect the micro level with macro processes, and Japanese interdisciplinary regional studies (Ky & umacr;gakkai Reng & omacr;), whose drawback was considered to be weak integration of results across disciplines as well as propensity for generalisations. The Aso Project sought to combine indepth local studies in the American style with the Japanese approach to the region as an intermediate unit of analysis, while adding the historical context. In practice, however, this ambitious synthesis did not materialize. Due to a lack of resources, weak coordination, and the fact that each researcher pursued his own narrow specialization, the project resulted in a series of rather fragmented microsociological, ethnographic, and historical works. Despite failing to create a universal model, the Aso Project had enormous symbolic significance, becoming a "founding myth" for the Vienna School of Japanese Studies. It clearly demonstrated the productivity of social science methods in studying Japanese culture and normalized the study of contemporary Japan within German-language Japanology. From the perspective of the history of anthropology, this is an example of borrowing anthropological theories and methods into related disciplines, which illustrates both the productivity of such borrowings and the difficulties that arise in the process.
Authors of the article approach the analysis of youth initiatives in the area of developing creative industries in the city of South Russia with special attention to the practices of (re)production and use of local features through vivid startups realized in special ethno-religious conditions. Authors also attempt to understand how young people use the subject of ethnicity in creative projects, both in alternative-formal and mainstream popular formats, and how they relate to ethnic entrepreneurship and nation-building. During the implementation of the project, the empirical results of which formed the basis of the analysis, the researchers encountered a pronounced attachment of young city residents to locality, low migration expectations, and frequent cases of return migration, which gives the findings a special value in the field of migration studies, including those implemented by our research center. To explain the findings, authors use several theoretical optics: the approach of ethnic entrepreneurship helps to explain the phenomenon of a special type of support networks for creative youth based on the principle of compatriotism, neighborliness, acquaintance outside the context of immigrant community; and the concept of ethnic construction "from below" helps to understand the motivations for inclusion and participation of young people in local creative production. The study is carried out in the qualitative tradition. The empirical base consists of 42 interviews with creative youth and experts in the city of Nalchik. The analysis of informants' narrative stories is supplemented by diary entries of 14 observations of selected cases-creative businesses or startups related to local specificity and ethnicity. In addition to grassroots creative initiatives, young people are also involved in mainstream projects of mass, popular culture, such as modern dance classes and K-pop festivals, counting on the support of stakeholders: business or the state. An interesting subject of analysis is the orientation of young people's creative initiatives towards informal support networks associated with the practices of ethnic entrepreneurship and nation-building. Being included in the common space of "grassroots" creative projects, young people begin to (re)invent the national and traditional in their own way.
This article explores the expeditionary activities of Moscow-based ethnographer and Tungusologist V.A. Tugolukov in the context of the challenges associated with the characterization of post-war ethnographic northern studies and the identification of scientific schools in Soviet ethnography. Based on archival and published materials, the paper reconstructs the parameters of the field trips undertaken by V.A. Tugolukov to various regions of Siberia and the Russian Far East between 1955 and 1981. The established organizational and temporal frameworks, spatial forms, and techniques of data collection are interpreted in light of the units of expeditionary study and the themes of the field trips. The author demonstrates that the significance of the established parameters of field trips can be explained by the dual nature of these units and themes. The study identifies both formal similarities and significant differences with the practices of early Soviet Moscow ethnographers. The paper concludes that the crucial role of working with documents in Tugolukov's expeditionary activities allows for considering "documentality" as a distinctive feature of post-war Moscow ethnographic northern studies.
This article examines "migrant" infrastructure in a Siberian city, using the case study of the "Osh" caf & eacute; chain in Tomsk. The aim of this study is to identify the role that businesses play in the city within the context of ethnic entrepreneurship. The research is based on field study. These data were collected by the authors between 2019 and 2025. The data were gathered using methods of participant observation, semi-structured interviews with caf & eacute; owners and staff, and analysis of digital sources. The results of the study demonstrate that despite the ethnic markers, the "Osh" caf & eacute; chain was initially oriented not only towards migrants but also towards local society. Its popularity and economic success are attributed to a unique business strategy. This strategy is based on a flexible approach to problem-solving and combines the use of "migrant" and "local" capital to overcome economic constraints and institutional barriers. The "Osh" cafes in Tomsk function as hubs for the informal integration of migrants, contributing to the formation of a positive image of migrants in the eyes of the local community.
This article explores the role of ethnic identity in political rituals within multiethnic communities. As a case study, it considers eight inauguration ceremonies of the highest officials of the Sakha Republic, a constituent unit of the Russian Federation. Drawing on Anthony D. Smith's methodology, the analysis shows how ritual illuminates the relationship between the federal centre and national regions. The article identifies a drift toward unitary legitimation and the centralisation of symbols, seeking to relocate ethnicity into the civic sphere. The trajectory of the inaugural ceremony has moved from universal minimalism to personalised ostentation, in direct correlation with the entrenchment of hierarchical power.
The article discusses the integration strategies and practices of international migrants or immigrants in Russia within the European context and the perspective of a transnational approach. The integration policy of the European Union states and integration strategies and practices of migrants/immigrants are considered using the cases of the Netherlands, Russia and Israel. This special issue demonstrates how the liberal multiculturalist model of migration policy was replaced by a strict model of migration regulation due to the adoption of the law on integration in 2021 and the law on citizenship in 2023 by the Netherlands' government. Unlike the European Union, Russian migration policy is characterized by the absence of an institutionalized integration policy at the state level. However, this situation does not mean that migrants are not integrated from below. The research cases presented in this special issue firstly demonstrate the formation and functioning of integration strategies and practices at the grassroots level (using the case of the Osh cafe chain in Tomsk and the Khiloksky market in Novosibirsk); secondly, the formation of transnational integration scenarios and a dual identity "here and there" - between Russia and Kyrgyzstan. There is another one study of integration strategies chosen by new returnees in Israel who preserve their Russian and Israeli identities. The article reveals the complexity and multidimensionality of modern migration processes, integration policy at the state level and by individuals.
This article describes the boundaries of the "friend-or-stranger" territory of the "Khiloksky market" in Novosibirsk. The growth of migration and the "visible" presence of migrants from Central Asia in this city contribute to the development and formation of economic and trade networks. This situation leads to clashes between migrants and the "local" population, increasing tensions both within the market and in the surrounding area of the city. The purpose of the study is to identify the complex of problems centered around the "Khiloksky market". The research hypothesis is as a result of the market's formation as a migrant infrastructure, it becomes a site for conflict production and the creation of informal migrant networks that regulate conflicts and social ties. The objective of the study was to enter the locality of the "Khiloksky market", study the factors influencing the conflict potential of the space, identify the main participants, and answer the question of which strategies contribute to the development of this particular infrastructure. The crucial conclusion is that the conflict of relations related to the market is based on the promotion of an international agenda that hides economic competition and social problems, and the government's disregard of the "invisible" infrastructure and the desire to criminalize it reinforces existing problems.
This article explores the multifaceted aspects of migration in the Netherlands during the European migration crisis of 2014-2024. The main objective is to scrutinize the national legal framework and its alignment with European standards and regulations. The article delves into the evolution of the migration legal regulation caused by a significant increase in migrants and refugees' arrivals (especially after February 2022), changes in domestic policy and public discussions about multiculturalism and national identity. The author highlights the specifics of determining the & laquo;migrant>> and & laquo;refugee>>, emphasizing the importance of a clear categorization for the effective operation of the admission and integration system. The research question: to what degree and how did the migration processes in the Netherlands during 2014-2024 influence the reform of migration legislation, considering two distinct phases and crisis phenomena: firstly, the aftermath of the widespread European crisis in 2015-2016 exacerbated by the deteriorating the situation in the Middle East, and secondly, after February 2022 and the ongoing the Russian-Ukrainian crisis. The timeframe of this study spans a decade, from 2014 to 2024. This article is based on an in-depth examination of the Dutch regulatory and legal landscape, statistical data from the Statistics Netherlands (CBS), Immigration and Naturalisation Service of the Netherlands, Eurostat, Dutch migration reports, and the Migrant Integration Policy index. These sources offer a comprehensive perspective on the issue. The findings enable a deeper understanding of the current challenges facing Dutch society and the trends in the trajectory of Dutch migration polin the context of transformation.
The article is devoted to Kyrgyz migration to the Siberian regions bordering Kazakhstan. After the collapse of the USSR, a specific set of migration scenarios and transnational ties emerged that determined the settlement of Kyrgyz migrants within these territorial boundaries. One of the important features of Kyrgyz migration is the high degree of concentration of Kyrgyz citizens in such a large center as Moscow and the Moscow region, but there is little information in the literature on the formation and development of other centers of attraction for Kyrgyz migration to Russian regions, in particular in Siberia. In relation to them, regions and regional capitals were clearly identified for the implementation of trade and entrepreneurial scenarios (Krasnoyarsk and Novosibirsk), labor (Tyumen region) and educational migrations (Tomsk). The source base consisted of population census materials, the results of the author's field work in Novosibirsk, Tyumen, Krasnoyarsk and Irkutsk in 2022-2025. The conceptual framework of the article is a transnational approach, the application of which allows us to consider connections and relations across several state borders and life scenarios of people from Kyrgyzstan. This allows us to get a complex picture of transnational exchanges of resources, things and information, to understand the peculiarities of the identity of Kyrgyz migrants who prefer to remain both "here" and "there". In this sense, the Siberian regions play one of the key roles in the formation and development of a complex network of relations across Central Asia to the regions of the Russian-Kazakh borderland. The presented material advances the field of migration studies by illustrating the mechanisms for implementing transnationality that Kyrgyz migrants have developed in the regions of Siberia: trade links and relations between the markets of Dordoi (Bishkek) and Kara-Suu (Osh), the Khiloksky market (Novosibirsk), the movement of things and money, the development of migration scenarios, including movement from the southern regions of Kyrgyzstan to the northern ones in order to optimize entrepreneurial strategies and life scenarios and participation in trade operations from the border between Kyrgyzstan and China to the borderland of Russia and Kazakhstan.
Language adaptation of non-indigenous populations in frontier zones remains an understudied phenomenon. While cases of mixed language formation are well documented, the mechanisms of deep language adaptation without creating a new language require theoretical understanding. The Russian old-settlers of the Lena River region in Yakutia represent a unique case of inversion of colonial language hierarchies: representatives of the metropole adopted the language of the numerically dominant indigenous population (Sakha) while maintaining their Russian ethnic identity. This phenomenon of "Yakutization" requires systematization and explanation of the mechanisms, factors, and long-term dynamics of language adaptation. The study draws on the frontier concept applied to Siberia as a classic frontier zone. The article synthesizes heterogeneous sources: travel notes of 19th-century researchers, ethnographic materials from the 20th-21st centuries, and sociolinguistic surveys. A diachronic sociolinguistic analysis covering a period of more than two centuries has been applied, allowing us to trace the long-term dynamics of language processes. The non-linearity of adaptation processes is demonstrated: from Russian monolingualism (18th century) through Sakha dominance (late 19th century) to the revitalization of Russian-Sakha bilingualism (20(th) century) and the contemporary shift to Russian monolingualism among youth. Key factors of language shift have been identified: demographic dominance of Yakuts, economic integration into the Yakut economic system, education in the Sakha language, structural properties of the Sakha language, and a developed oral literary tradition. Compensatory mechanisms for maintaining ethnic boundaries during language shift have been established: compact settlement, socio-economic specialization, Orthodox Christianity, historical memory, and others. The study demonstrates that in frontier conditions, an inversion of language hierarchies is possible, complete language shift can occur independently of ethnic assimilation, and language adaptation represents a dynamic balancing between strategies determined by the current configuration of various factors.
Recently, such methods as X-ray fluorescence analysis (XRF), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) have begun to be widely used in the study of archaeological forging artifacts. In this article, based on our research, we propose an algorithm for a comprehensive study of ferrous metallurgy and ironworking products. In this case, three main objects of study are considered: iron objects themselves, slags (both metallurgical and forging), slag inclusions in iron objects. As a result, a conclusion is made that a comprehensive analysis of metallurgical objects significantly expands the boundaries of knowledge of the features and patterns of metallurgical production.
This study is dedicated to the phenomenon of public movements that cooperate to clean rocks from vandal inscriptions. The paper focuses on the symbolic behavior of individuals and communities in a socio-anthropological context, from the territorial behavior of vandals to civil anti-vandal initiatives. The material used consists of inscriptions on the rocks of the Altai Mountains and the historically changing attitudes of the local population toward them. The methodology is based on in-depth interviews with participants of the "Clean Altai" movement, collected during fieldwork, as well as semiotic interpretation of symbolic behavior. The study shows that vandal inscriptions are low-semantics signs, marking only the physical presence of the author. The motivation for making such inscriptions is rooted in the liminal state of an individual seeking to declare their subjectivity in the face of public indifference. The emergence of a mass volunteer movement since the mid-2010s marks the overcoming of this social apathy and the beginning of a new period. Motivated by a complex system of ethical and aesthetic ideals, it contributes to the development of a sophisticated civic consciousness and complex identities. This finds constructive expression in the development of creative forms of tourism, which leads to the comprehensive development of regions and aligns with current trends in the anthropology of tourism.
This paper presents the results of a comprehensive analysis of anthropogenic modifications on the bone remains of Bison priscus from Chagyrskaya Cave (Altai, Russia), allowing to reconstruct the butchery strategies of Neanderthals. Bison was the main prey of Neanderthal group from Chagyrskaya Cave in the Late Pleistocene (60-50 ka). The study revealed a multi-stage process of carcass processing, including skinning, separating bones from each other, extracting tendons, meat removal and extracting bone marrow from all tubular bones, rarely from the first phalanges. After butchering the bison, its bone remains were used by Neanderthals to retouch stone tools, with preference given to fragments of long tubular bones, less often flat, mixed bones and first phalanges. The abundance of cuts-marks on the "meaty" long tubular bones indicates intensive meat removal from the carcasses. Most of the muscle cut-marks on the different bones are predominantly inclined to the left, which may indicate the same hand laterality of butchers. The high percentage of cut-marks also suggests that muscle removal occurred when the meat was raw, since cooked meat is easily separated from the bone and the process leaves few cut-marks. The low incidence of longitudinal cuts observed in this group does not allow us to conclude that the meat was dried.
This article introduces the thematic issue dedicated to the anthropology of Soviet deportations and outlines a conceptual framework for analyzing narratives of forced displacement through the lenses of language, memory, and identity. The issue is based on materials from the panel "Anthropology of Mass Deportations in the USSR" at the XV CAER (2023). The authors argue that legal, administrative, and journalistic vocabularies dominate the representation of deportation experiences, often failing to reflect the social and cultural complexity of the events. Particular attention is given to forms of vernacular memory-localized, non-institutionalized modes of remembering and transmitting trauma rooted in oral histories, family archives, and visual practices. Drawing on the theoretical insights of B. Misztal, M. Hirsch, R. Bendix, and M. Roth-berg, the article explores how memory about Soviet deportations is constructed outside official narratives, often entering into competition or dialogue with other traumatic histories. The authors identify three levels of description: the language of power, academic discourse, and the language of victims, proposing an interdisciplinary approach to understanding collective memory. The issue includes case studies on the deportation of Armenians in 1949 and the expulsion of Armenians from Nakhichevan in 1988-1989. The article shows how deportations served not only as political instruments but also as catalysts for identity formation, memory transformation, and the reconfiguration of community boundaries in the post-Soviet context.
This article examines the Arctic city as a space of epistemological divergence between design-based and everyday forms of knowledge. The empirical basis of the study includes semi-structured interviews with architects and residents, mobile (drive-along) and informal interviews, a focus group, and field observations conducted in the cities of Novy Urengoy and Tarko-Sale. The article explores how notions of comfort, urban normality, and inhabitability are constructed under conditions of extreme climate, demographic instability, and infrastructural limitations. It demonstrates that architectural knowledge in the Arctic context is governed by normative visuality and institutional accountability, whereas everyday narratives focus on bodily vulnerability, care, and situational adaptation. Rather than interpreting these contradictions as failures of implementation, the study proposes to view them as productive fields of attunement that analytically reveal the city as a plural and contested socio-technical assemblage. Methodologically, the research combines narrative analysis with elements of situated ethnography and contributes to urban anthropology, critical infrastructure studies, and the social history of everyday life in the Arctic.
