Enduring Uncertainty: Resilience and Change in the Polish-Russian Border Region Amid Russia’s War Against Ukraine. A Case of Bezledy Village

This article examines how residents of the Polish-Russian border region have navigated shifting geopolitical landscapes, particularly in the wake of Russia’s war against Ukraine. The border, significant not only as a division between the EU and a non-EU country but also due to Kaliningrad’s military presence, has shaped local life for decades. Drawing on insights from periods of both open and closed borders from 1945 to 2024, this study highlights how the more-recent events of Russia’s annexation of Crimea, the 2014 conflict in Donbas, and the COVID -19 pandemic have affected the region and ordinary borderlanders’ experiences of resilience. The escalation of the war in February 2022, moreover, introduced profound changes, triggering economic decline, security concerns, and a shift in local dynamics. Drawing on ethnographic methods and social science paradigms such as resilience, crisis, and social exclusion, the authors explore how these communities, despite adversity, adapt—often relying on cross-border connections for survival while grappling with evolving perceptions of identity and solidarity.