Ohrožená periferie? Ruský Dálný východ v kontextu čínské migrace
A Periphery in Peril? The Russian Far East in the Context of Chinese Migration

Summary/Abstract: This article deals with the phenomenon of Chinese migration in the Russian Far East. Shortly after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the Russian Far East experienced a sudden influx of Chinese migrants. In a traditionally isolated and sparsely populated area, this influx led to the widespread fear that the region might soon lose its ethnically Russian character and even become a target of China’s territorial ambitions. Using a multidisciplinary approach, this study aims to examine the history of the Chinese presence in the Russian Far East since the late nineteenth century and analyze the main features of Chinese migration as it has evolved in the past two decades. The article explores why the emergence of Chinese migrants, fairly limited in number, triggered such extreme reactions among the Russian public and why these misperceptions persist in Russia despite the fact that they have been repeatedly disproven by scientific research.

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