D. O. Timoshkin, F. A. Smetanin, D. E. Gorshkova et al. “Us” or “Them”: Internal Migrants in the Perceptions of the Siberian Cities’ Citizens (on the Example of Irkutsk, Krasnoyarsk and Tomsk)

https://doi.org/10.15507/2413-1407.129.033.202502.316-334
EDN: https://elibrary.ru/avdscb
УДК / UDC 325.11(571.1/.5)

Abstract

Introduction. The study examines the process of civic identity formation in contemporary Russia in relation to the production and crossing of boundaries between “imagined communities”. Most existing research focuses on how cross-border migration influences the host community’s rethinking of its identity. At the same time, internal migrants, being part of the same society, can impact the identification of the “us-group” within the country. Studying this issue is crucial for understanding the configuration and structure of civic identity from the perspective of maintaining and preserving social solidarity. The authors analyze the influence of internal migration on the perceptions of residents in three Siberian cities regarding “us” and “them.” The aim of the study was to identify the mechanisms by which members of the “us-group” construct boundaries with respect to internal migrants, as well as the degree of permeability of these boundaries.

Materials and Methods. The authors based their research on 9 focus groups with citizens of Irkutsk, Krasnoyarsk, and Tomsk, aged 18–36, conducted in 2023. Respondents were recruited using snowball sampling. The material was analyzed using thematic axial data coding, performed in the MAXQDA program, and discourse analysis.

Results. It was found that respondents perceive both internal and cross-border migrants as individuals who fall into the gaps of a dense communication network, where integration into this network is the primary criterion for belonging to the “us-group” of civic identity holders. The study found that internal migration contributes to the formation of boundaries between locals and newcomers at the local level. Communication breakdowns occur between urban residents and rural migrants, which serve as the main reason for locals to exclude newcomers. However, the permeability of borders is more evident for internal migrants than for cross-border migrants. The research confirms that the key factors for the integration of newcomers into the host community are their inclusion in local social networks and their ability to navigate and use the urban environment.

Discussion and Conclusion. Internal migrants are able to bridge the gap to the host society much faster than cross-border migrants, which supports the thesis of strengthening civic identity in Russia. Nevertheless, the emerging communication breakdowns carry a potential for conflict and pose a threat to social solidarity. In this respect, the findings of the study may be useful in the development of migration policies, not only by drawing attention to the issue of internal migration, but also by highlighting key problems whose solution becomes a strategic priority.

Keywords: civil identity, internal migration, local identity, overcoming borders, Siberia

Conflict of interest. The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Funding. The study was carried out with the financial support of the Russian Science Foundation within the framework of project No. 22-78-10075 “Comparative analysis of informal practices of integration of internal and cross-border migrants in modern Siberian regional capitals (on the example of Irkutsk, Krasnoyarsk and Tomsk)”, https://rscf.ru/project/22-78-10075/.

For citation: Timoshkin D.O., Smetanin F.A., Gorshkova D.E. et al. “Us” or “Them”: Internal Migrants in the Perceptions of the Siberian Cities’ Citizens (on the Example of Irkutsk, Krasnoyarsk and Tomsk). Russian Journal of Regional Studies. 2025;33(2):316–334. https://doi.org/10.15507/2413-1407.129.033.202502.316-334

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About the authors:

Dmitriy O. Timoshkin, Dr.Sci. (Sociol.), Senior Researcher in the Laboratory of Historical and Political Demography, Irkutsk State University (1 Karl Marx St., Irkutsk 664003, Russian Fede­ration), Professor of the Chair of Information Technologies in Creative Industries, Humanitarian Institute of Siberian Federal University (79 Prospekt Svobodnyi, Krasnoyarsk 660041, Russian Federation), ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5478-0469, Researcher ID: E-4471-2019, Scopus ID: 57205318934, SPIN-code: 6568-6235, dmtrtim@gmail.com

Fedor A. Smetanin, Cand.Sci. (Histor.), Junior Research in the Laboratory of Historical and Political Demography, Irkutsk State University (1 Karl Marx St., Irkutsk 664003, Russian Federation), Senior Lecturer of the Chair of Cultural Studies and Museology, Institute of Arts and Culture, National Research Tomsk State University (36 Prospekt Lenina, Tomsk 634050, Russian Federation), ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0408-9845, Researcher ID: AAO-6585-2020, Scopus ID: 57783110200, SPIN-code: 4055-0300, f-smetanin@mail.ru

Diana E. Gorshkova, Junior Researcher in the Laboratory of Historical and Political Demography, Irkutsk State University (1 Karl Marx st., Irkutsk 664003, Russian Federation), Assistant of the Chair of Anthropology and Ethnology, Faculty of Historical and Political Sciences, National Research Tomsk State University (36 Prospekt Lenina, Tomsk 634050, Russian Federation), ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0014-5405, Researcher ID: AAO-6975-2020, Scopus ID: 57221914634, SPIN-code: 6085-7996, br.diana21@gmail.com

Andrei A. Voloshin, Junior Researcher in the Laboratory of Historical and Political Demography, Irkutsk State University (1 Karl Marx St., Irkutsk 664003, Russian Federation), ORCID: https://orcid.org/my-orcid?orcid=0000-0002-4326-5290, nishlov94@gmail.com

Kirill A. Ivanov, Junior Researcher in the Laboratory of Historical and Political Demography, Irkutsk State University (1 Karl Marx St., Irkutsk 664003, Russian Federation), Researcher of the Federal Research Center E.A. Favorsky “Irkutsk Institute of Chemistry. Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences” (1 Favorskogo St., 664033 Irkutsk, Russian Federation), ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3895-0082, Researcher ID: O-9236-2015, Scopus ID: 59248985100, SPIN-code: 8077-4256, ivanov-ka@word.isu.ru

Iuliia O. Koreshkova, Junior Researcher in the Laboratory of Historical and Political Demography, Irkutsk State University (1 Karl Marx St., Irkutsk 664003, Russian Federation), ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5582-6032, Researher ID: JSK-5702-2023, Scopus ID: 57658268400, SPIN-code: 5742-0242, yuliakodzhaeva@yandex.ru

Arina E. Sorokina, Bachelor of Cultural Studies, Siberian Federal University (79 Prospekt Svobodnyi, Krasnoyarsk 660041, Russian Federation), ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7949-6816, arinasoroka47@gmail.com

Sofiya A. Ignatenko, Bachelor of Cultural Studies, Siberian Federal University (79 Prospekt Svobodnyi, Krasnoyarsk 660041, Russian Federation), ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7057-5262, ajifos01102002@mail.ru

Galina A. Shaposhnikova-Murashova, Bachelor of Cultural Studies, Siberian Federal University (79 Prospekt Svobodnyi, Krasnoyarsk 660041, Russian Federation), ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0174-068X, galya.shaposhnickova@yandex.ru

Contribution of the authors:

D. O. Timoshkin – formulating research idea, goals, and objectives; developing and designing research methodology; supervising, leading, and mentoring the planning and conduct of the study; implementing the research process, including data collection; writing a draft manuscript; making comments and corrections.

F. A. Smetanin – developing and designing the research methodology; implementing the research process, including data collection; writing a draft manuscript; making comments and corrections.

D. E. Gorshkova – developing and designing the research methodology; implementing the research process, including data collection; developing the research methodology; writing a draft manuscript; making comments and corrections.

A. A. Voloshin – carrying out the research process, including data collection; writing a draft manuscript; making comments and corrections.

K. A. Ivanov – carrying out the research process, including data collection; processing and analyzing data; writing a draft manuscript; making comments and corrections.

I. O. Koreshkova – formulating the research idea, goals and objectives; writing a draft manuscript, including translation into a foreign language; making comments and corrections.

А. Е. Sorokina – carrying out the research process, including data collection; making comments and corrections.

S. A. Ignatenko – carrying out the research process, including data collection; making comments and corrections.

G. A. Shaposhnikova-Murashova – carrying out the research process, including data collection; making comments and corrections.

Availability of data and materials. The datasets used and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the authors on reasonable request.

The authors have read and approved the final manuscript.

Submitted 07.10.2024; revised 18.01.2025; accepted 25.01.2025.