Comparing Everyday Practices in Urban Spaces: Russian Migrants and Local Residents in Yerevan and Tbilisi

The study aims to identify differences in the use of urban space by Russian emigrants in Yerevan and Tbilisi compared to the local population. The main aim of the work is to explore how interaction with the city changes when moving, and how the previous experience of consuming urban space affects the new reality of migrants. By looking at Russian emigrants through the lens of transnational migration, the impact of this phenomenon on migrants' urban practices will be explored. Yerevan and Tbilisi are chosen for the study because they are the main destinations for a significant proportion of Russian migrants and represent important cultural and economic centres with diverse socio-cultural contexts. The subjects of the study are Russian-speaking migrants and natives, and their urban practices. In order to achieve the research objective, a series of semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with residents and newcomers in Yerevan and Tbilisi. The initial assumption was that the Moscow experience would significantly change the urban practices of re-locants and that they would be less integrated into the Tbilisi context than in Yerevan; as a result, the integration process in both cities turned out to be deeper than expected.