A view on the EU : Border practices in Sovetsk

Abstract

Studying of post-Soviet borderlands is virtually impossible without reflection on the history of interaction between citizens of neighboring countries that both used to be Soviet republics for decades. A perfect example of such borders is the border between Lithuania and Russia’s Kaliningrad region; one of its checkpoints is situated in the town on Sovetsk. Life on an unstable border that used to change its location, status and character directly affects the life strategies and practices of the townspeople: attendance of certain town loci is transformed, a whole range of “border” occupations emerges, the rules of “regionautics” - constant transborder travel making use and profit of various territories both sides of the border - are formulated, and loopholes allowing to conduct such travel with minimal costs emerge. This research is based on the narratives of the townspeople of Sovetsk dwelling on the memories of both Soviet and post-Soviet past of the town. This article presents the outcomes of the fieldwork conducted within the project “The People’s History of Russia” supported by the Presidential Grants Foundation.