Migrants from China and Vietnam in South Ural Region (1991–2014)
https://doi.org/10.24224/2227-1295-2024-13-7-352-368
Abstract
This article addresses the formation of Chinese and Vietnamese migrant communities in major cities of the South Ural region during the post-Soviet period. The authors focus on Chelyabinsk and Magnitogorsk, as these cities have hosted functioning Chinese (in Chelyabinsk) and Vietnamese (in Magnitogorsk) markets for an extended period. The manuscript’s source base consists of archival materials from the State Archive of the Russian Federation, the Unified State Archive of Chelyabinsk Region, as well as texts from regional periodicals. Methodologically, the authors draw upon mobility theory and the concept of the right to the city. By utilizing these sources, the study traces how migration from Southeast Asian countries to the South Ural region evolved, how migrants adapted to changes in the national context, and how they navigated new social niches, demonstrating flexibility in modernizing and reorienting their infrastructure — from predominantly marketbased trading to agriculture, among other sectors. Although Chinese and Vietnamese migrants are not numerous today, the institutions established by the first wave of post-Soviet migration continue to operate.
Supporting agencies: The study is supported by Russian Science Foundation, project number 23-28-10211 https://rscf.ru/project/23-28-10211/
About the Authors
A. A. Avdashkin
South Ural State University
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Andrey A. Avdashkin - PhD of History, Laboratory of Migration Studies
Chelyabinsk
E. I. Salganova
South Ural State University
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Elena I. Salganova - PhD of Sociology, Department of Sociology
Chelyabinsk
A. A. Pass
Chelyabinsk State University
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Andrey A. Pass - Doctor of History, Department of Political Science,
and International Relations
Chelyabinsk
References
1. Alexandrova, M. (2010). The closure of the “Big Market”, or the departure from the “gray customs schemes”. Problems of the Far East, 4: 65—75. (In Russ.).
2. Avdashkin, A. A. (2023). In search of areas of concentration of Chinese in a Russian city. Ethnography, 2: 215—239. DOI: 10.31250/2618-8600-2023-2(20)-215-239. (In Russ.).
3. Avdashkin, A. A. (2024). The Vietnamese market in a post-Soviet city: history, social boundaries and infrastructure (on the example of Magnitogorsk). Journal of Frontier Studies, 9 / 1 (33): 36—59. DOI: 10.46539/jfs.v9i1.540. (In Russ.).
4. Baranova, V., Fedorova, K. (2020). Visibly-invisibly: migration and transformation of the linguistic landscape of St. Petersburg. Laboratory: Journal of Social Research, 1: 48—80. DOI: 10.25285/2078-1938-2020-12-1-48-80. (In Russ.).
5. Dyatlov, V. I. (2008a). “Chinese markets” of Russian cities — “Outgoing nature”? Izvestiya Irkutsk State University. Series: Political Science. Religious studies, 1: 20—30. (In Russ.).
6. Dyatlov, V. I. (2008b). Russia. In anticipation of Chinatowns. Ethnographic review, 4: 6—16. (In Russ.).
7. Dyatlov, V. I. (2020). “Ethnic markets” — migrant localities in the post-Soviet urban space. Journal of Social Policy Research, 9: 577—592. DOI: 10.17323/727-0634-2020-18-4-577-592. (In Russ.).
8. Grigorichev, K. V., Fedorova, V. I. (2017). “Chinese” markets of Russia: the role in post-socialist transformation (the case of Irkutsk). Bulletin of Tomsk State University, 419: 121—132. DOI: 10.17223/15617793/419/16. (In Russ.).
9. Grigorichev, K. V. (2020). “Wrong” Chinese and the “captured” city: challenging urban space as the development of practices of interaction with another. Journal of Social Policy Research, 4: 593—608. DOI: 10.17323/727-0634-2020-18-4-593-608. (In Russ.).
10. Hannam, K., Sheller, M., Urry, J. (2006). Editorial: Mobilities, Immobilities and Moorings. Mobilities, 1 (1): 1—22. DOI: 10.1080/17450100500489189.
11. Ivleva, I. V. (2010). Street economy in the everyday life of the transition period: merchants and markets in St. Petersburg and the Leningrad region. St. Petersburg: St. Petersburg State University Publishing House. 264 p. ISBN 978-5-288-05060-2. (In Russ.).
12. Kamenskikh, M. S. (2011). The Chinese in the Middle Urals at the end of the XIX — beginning of the XXI century. St. Petersburg: Mamatov. 350 p. ISBN 978-5-91076-046-6. (In Russ.).
13. Larin, A. G. (2009). Chinese migrants in Russia: history and modernity. Moscow: Vostochnaya kniga. 511 p. ISBN 978-5-7873-0493-0. (In Russ.).
14. Larin,A. G. (2017). The Chinese Diaspora in Russia. Contours of global transformations: politics, economics, law, 5: 65—82. DOI: 10.23932/2542-0240-2017-10-5-65-82. (In Russ.).
15. Lefebvre, H. (2000). Writing on City. Oxford: Blackwell. 272 р.
16. Malakhov, V. S. (2020). From communities to space: exploring changes in the urban environment under the influence of migration. Journal of Social Policy Research, 4: 561—576. DOI: 10.17323/727-0634-2020-18-4-561-576. (In Russ.).
17. Mikhaylova, E., Tyuryukanova, E. (2008). Migrants in retail trade: the effect of prohibitions. In: Migration legislation of the Russian Federation: law enforcement practice. Moscow: Adamant. 237—266. (In Russ.).
18. Mukomel, V. I. (2005). Migration policy of Russia: Post-Soviet contexts. Moscow: Dipol-T. 351 p. ISBN 5-901144-15-5. (In Russ.).
19. Nam, I. V. (2015). New ethnic groups (diasporas) in Tomsk. Bulletin of Tomsk State University. History, 5: 33—43. (In Russ.).
20. Ryazantsev, S. V., Ciyunlan Wu. (2015). Chinese labor migrants on the Russian labor market. Scientific review. Series 1: Economics and Law, 6: 5—11. (In Russ.).
21. Ryazantsev, S. V., Le Duc,A., Fung Hai, H., Moiseeva, E. M. (2022). The Vietnamese diaspora in Russia and its contribution to the development of bilateral relations. Vietnamese studies: electronic scientific journal, 6 (3): 34—45. DOI: 10.54631/VS.2022.63-106318. (In Russ.).
22. Ryzhova, N. P. (2008). Blagoveshchensk: in search of “Chinatown”. Ethnographic review, 4: 17—31. (In Russ.).
23. Sokolov, A. (2016). Vietnamese in Russia: the history of migrations and diaspora. In: East in the East, in Russia and in the West: Cross-border migrations and diasporas. St. Petersburg: Nestor-Istoriya. 145—158. ISBN 978-5-4469-0883-7. (In Russ.).
24. Stepanov, V. V. (2018). Chinese in Russia. In: Ethnic and religious diversity of Russia. Moscow: IEA RAS. 417—436. ISBN 978-5-4211-0205-2. (In Russ.).
25. Varshaver, E. A., Rocheva, A. L., Ivanova, N. S., Andreeva, A. S. (2021). Migrants in Russian cities : settlement, concentration, integration. Moscow: Delo. 226 p. ISBN 978-5- 85006-321-4. (In Russ.).
26. Zabyelina, Y. (2012). Costs and benefits of informal economy: Shuttle trade and crime at Cherkizovsky market. Global Crime, 13 (2): 95—108. DOI: 10.1080/17440572.2012.674185.
Review
For citations:
Avdashkin A.A., Salganova E.I., Pass A.A. Migrants from China and Vietnam in South Ural Region (1991–2014). Nauchnyi dialog. 2024;13(7):352-368. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.24224/2227-1295-2024-13-7-352-368
Views:
129
Email this article 