Migrants from China and Vietnam in South Ural Region (1991–2014)

This article addresses the formation of Chinese and Vietnamese migrant communities in major cities of the South Ural region during the post-Soviet period. The authors focus on Chelyabinsk and Magnitogorsk, as these cities have hosted functioning Chinese (in Chelyabinsk) and Vietnamese (in Magnitogorsk) markets for an extended period. The manuscript’s source base consists of archival materials from the State Archive of the Russian Federation, the Unified State Archive of Chelyabinsk Region, as well as texts from regional periodicals. Methodologically, the authors draw upon mobility theory and the concept of the right to the city. By utilizing these sources, the study traces how migration from Southeast Asian countries to the South Ural region evolved, how migrants adapted to changes in the national context, and how they navigated new social niches, demonstrating flexibility in modernizing and reorienting their infrastructure — from predominantly marketbased trading to agriculture, among other sectors. Although Chinese and Vietnamese migrants are not numerous today, the institutions established by the first wave of post-Soviet migration continue to operate.