'Ethnic Markets' – Migrant Localities in Post-soviet Urban Spaces

Abstract

In spite of the importance of the issue, Russia’s 'Chinese markets' are hardly studied. This phenomenon combines two major aspects of post-socialist reality: open-air retail markets on the one hand, and massive cross-border labor migration, on the other. Why are 'Chinese markets' being perceived as 'migrant localities'? Is it the concentration of migrant infrastructure, the economic and social activity of migrants or the beliefs and stereotypes of the host society? Our study is based on twenty-five years of research on Irkutsk 'Chinese
markets' (1993–2019). The empirical basis of the research was a continuous monitoring the so-called 'Shanghai' market and special research of related small 'Chinese markets' in the city (2013–2019). Over 150 semi-structured and free biographical interviews with salesmen, visitors, siloviki (police and security officers), as well as with representatives of the City Hall of Irkutsk and administration of the markets were collected at all the sites. Materials of regional and city media, both traditional and electronic, collected within the whole period under review were used. The role of markets in the context of migration and ethnic processes is being studied as a part of the intensely debated problem of 'ethnic economy' and 'enclave economy'. Analysing the long-time dynamics Irkutsk 'Chinese markets' highlights the influential process of market transformation on Russian society and allows us to offer some
hypotheses about the impact of the phenomenon upon urban spaces.