printMigration Plans of Youth in the North Caucasus in the Context of Regional Attachment
Omel’chenko E.L.
Dr. Sci. (Soc.), Prof., Head of the Center for Youth Studies at the HSE University in St. Petersburg, Russia eomelchenko@hse.ru
Lisovskaya I.V.
Cand. Sci. (Sociol.), Center for Youth Studies, HSE University – St. Petersburg, St. Petersburg, Russia ilisovskaya@hse.ru
The authors express their gratitude to colleagues who participated in the fieldwork and analytical stages of the project. The study was conducted within the framework of the project “Resilience and Creative Potential of Youth in the North Caucasus Region in the Context of Educational and Labor Migration” supported by the Russian Science Foundation (2024–2026), Project No. 24-18-00659.
Omel’chenko E.L., Lisovskaya I.V. Migration Plans of Youth in the North Caucasus in the Context of Regional Attachment. Sotsiologicheskie issledovaniya [Sociological Studies]. 2026. No 2. P. 86-98
The article explores how migration plans of young people in the North Caucasus are shaped by their emotional and symbolic attachment to place. Using the theoretical framework of the “sense of place,” the authors examine how young residents interpret the decision to stay or leave in relation to family ties, cultural norms, and regional identity. The study applies a mixed-methods strategy combining 86 semi-structured interviews with students and working youth aged 20–35 and a quantitative survey (N = 1609) conducted in five cities – Nalchik, Cherkessk, Stavropol, Pyatigorsk, and Vladikavkaz. The findings reveal that migration intentions are deeply intertwined with local belonging, dense kinship and friendship networks, and perceptions of moral obligation toward family and community. Even when unable to leave, young people construct personal “horizons of possibility,” balancing aspirations for mobility with the comfort of familiar social environments. Differences between cities show varying degrees of perceived freedom and opportunity, yet across the region migration decisions are filtered through the prism of local identity and attachment to place. The research contributes to the sociology of youth mobility and regional development by highlighting the coexistence of dependency and agency within localized moral economies of the North Caucasus.
Avdeev E. A., Vorobyev S. M. (2023) Sociocultural Bases of the North Caucasus Student Youth Identity: Risks of conflict in inter-ethnic relations. Politicheskaya ekspertiza: POLITEKS [Political expertise: POLITEX]. Vol. 19. No. 1: 4–21. DOI: 10.21638/spbu23.2023.101. (In Russ.)
Belanche D., Casaló L. V., Rubio M. Á. (2021) Local Place Identity: A comparison between Residents of Rural and Urban Communities. Journal of Rural Studies. Vol. 82: 242–252.
Chernysheva N. S., Andreeva A. S., Kuziner E. N. (2023) Rethinking Local Identities in the Russian North: Youth Seeking Purity. Sotsiologicheskie issledovaniya [Sociological Studies]. No. 12: 136–145. DOI: 10.31857/S013216250029343-0; EDN: ZXFNMC. (In Russ.)
Dozhdikov A. V., Kornilova E. V. (2023) Educational Migration of Applicants among Regions of the Russian Federation as a Data source for Planning the Higher Education System Development. Vysshee obrazovanie v Rossii [Higher Education in Russia]. Vol. 32. No. 3: 67–83. DOI: 10.31992/0869-3617- 2023-32-3-67-83. (In Russ.)
Jorgensen B. S., Stedman R. C. (2006) A Comparative Analysis of Predictors of Sense of Place Dimensions: Attachment to, Dependence on, and Identification with Lakeshore Properties. Journal of Environmental Management. Vol. 79. No. 3: 316–327.
Kazenin K. I., Mitrofanova E. S. (2024) Following Traditions or Conscious Choice During the Life Course: An Analysis of Fertility Decision Making in Russian Population Groups with Higher Fertility. Monitoring obshchestvennogo mneniya: ekonomicheskie i sotsialnye peremeny [Monitoring of Public Opinion: Economic and Social Changes]. No. 6(184): 275–296. DOI: 10.14515/monitoring.2024.6.2649; EDN: AVTEQY. (In Russ.)
Lee E. S. (1966) A Theory of Migration. Demography. Vol. 3. No. 1: 47–57.
Low S. M., Altman I. (1992) Place Attachment: A Conceptual Inquiry. In: Altman I., Low S. M. (eds) Place Attachment. New York: Plenum Press: 1–12.
Mkrtchyan N. V. (2017) Youth Migration from Small Towns in Russia. Monitoring obshchestvennogo mneniya: ekonomicheskie i sotsialnye peremeny [Monitoring of Public Opinion: Economic and Social Changes]. No. 1: 225–242. DOI: 10.14515/monitoring.2017.1.15. (In Russ.)
Mkrtchyan N. V. (2019) Migration in the North Caucasus and the Accuracy of Statistics. Zhurnal issledovaniy sotsialnoy politiki [The Journal of Social Policy Studies]. Vol. 17. No. 1: 7–22. DOI: 10.17323/727-0634- 2019-17-1-7-22. (In Russ.)
Nartova N. A., Fatekhov A. M. (2021) The transition into adulthood of Russian millennials: From getting an education to gaining responsibility and losing optimism? Monitoring obshchestvennogo mneniya: ekonomicheskie i sotsialnye peremeny. [Monitoring of Public Opinion: Economic and Social Changes]. No. 4: 319–344. DOI: 10.14515/monitoring.2021.4.1832; EDN: KZNICF. (In Russ.)
Omelchenko D. A., Omelchenko E. L. (2022) In search of home: The regional identity of young Kaliningraders, life strategies and migration intentions. Monitoring obshchestvennogo mneniya: ekonomicheskie i sotsialnye peremeny [Monitoring of Public Opinion: Economic and Social Changes]. No. 6: 309–332. DOI: 10.14515/monitoring.2022.6.2317. (In Russ.)
Omelchenko E., Poliakov S., Mayboroda A. (2019) Peers/strangers/others? The youth of Dagestan in search of group identities. Cultural Studies. Vol. 33. No. 5: 841–865.
Omelchenko E. L. (2023) Imaginary Horizons of the Future: Life Orientations and Migration Plans of the Youth of the North-West Region of Russia. Sotsiologicheskie issledovaniya [Sociological Studies]. No. 12: 121–135. DOI: 10.31857/S013216250029342-9. (In Russ.)
Sitkevich D. A. (2023) The Economic and Sociocultural Factors Shaping Migration Attitudes of Residents in the North Caucasus. Region: ekonomika i sotsiologiya [Region: Economics and Sociology]. No. 2(118): 144–170. DOI: 10.15372/REG20230206. (In Russ.)
Starodubrovskaya I. V. (2019) Intergenerational Relations and Social Transformations: The case of the North Caucasus. Sotsiologiya vlasti [Sociology of Power]. Vol. 31. No. 1: 92–113. (In Russ.)
Starodubrovskaya I. V., Sitkevich D. A. (2023) North Caucasian Migrants in St. Petersburg: Specifics of Adaptation in the Metropolis. Demograficheskoe obozrenie [Demographic Review]. Vol. 10. No. 3: 43–61. DOI: 10.17323/demreview.v10i3.17969; EDN: JGDCKN. (In Russ.)
Thakakhov V. Kh. (2017) Map of the City: The Symbolic Transformation of Space in the North Caucasus. Sotsiologicheskie issledovaniya [Sociological Studies]. No. 5: 17–25. (In Russ.)
Tishkov V. A., Barash R. E., Stepanov V. V. (2017) Students’ Identity and Life Strategies in Russia. Sotsiologicheskie issledovaniya [Sociological Studies]. No. 8: 81–87. DOI: 10.7868/S0132162517080098. (In Russ.)
Williams D. R., Vaske J. J. (2003) The measurement of place attachment: Validity and generalizability of a psychometric approach. Forest Science. Vol. 49. No. 6: 830–840.