Ukrainian Migration to Russia: Results and Prospects

Abstract

The paper deals with the analysis of Ukrainian migration into Russia, which has been remaining an important factor in Russia’s development during the post-Soviet period. Attraction of migrants with cultural characteristics similar to the native population makes it possible to simultaneously pursue two targets: promoting economic growth and preserving the nation’s cultural identity. Migrants from Ukraine are currently the only substantial source of potential migration into Russia that does not provoke a negative attitude among the Russian people. The paper provides an analysis of the main geographical directions of Ukrainian migration into Russia during the past eight years. These directions have proved to be resilient in spite of substantial changes of the socioeconomic conditions in both countries. It is shown that the “Ukrainian stream” demonstrates features common to international migration in other countries, at the same time having certain specifics, e.g. leaning toward big cities of the Russian South-West. The authors examine the distribution of migrants among the federal districts of Russia as well as among administrative centers and rural areas of receiving regions. The Ukrainian migration stream is considered to be the object of competition between Russian and Polish economic centers of gravity. In order for Russia to win in such a competition, the authors propose not to set an unrealistic goal of attracting Ukrainian migrants to the sparsely populated regions of Russia (e.g. the Far East), but rather to promote migration into regions which have already demonstrated their attractiveness for them, namely Belgorod, Voronezh and Krasnodar. In stimulating migration into these regions particular emphasis is to be made on the attraction of the Ukrainian youth, especially students. For that purpose, special programs targeting Ukrainian students should be elaborated at the universities of the Russian South-West.