Adaptation practices of forced migrants: a comparative study of Russian emigrants in Georgia and Germany in 2022–2023

Журнал социологии и социальной антропологии. 2026. Vol. 1. No. 29. P. 118–148.

Legut K.

The most recent Russian emigration wave of 2022–2023 has some peculiar features. Unlike their predecessors, the migrants of that wave have been leaving the country in conditions of high economic instability, strong tensions in the international political arena, closed airspace for Russia’s airlines, and suspended facilitation of obtaining the Schengen visa. The research goal of the current paper is to describe the adaptation practices of Russian migrants in 2022–2023 in the context of international tension. The empirical basis of the research consists of sixteen interviews with migrants in Germany and Georgia who left Russia in 2022 and 2023. The analysis shows that most common and successful adaptation practices include membership in a community and participation in activities that the migrants find interesting and valuable. Peculiarities of adaptation process in each country have been defined. The forced nature of emigration leads to the choice of a country with easier entry conditions, however, further adaptation in such cases is less successful. When moving to a country requiring entry preparation, informants adapt better as they have a clearer vision of their future in the new location. Thus, unlike migrants in Germany, informants from Georgia do not plan to remain in the country, which results in their isolation within the Russian-speaking community. They have a vague image of their future, which decreases the overall level of their adaptive capacity.

Keywords: Germany, Georgia, history of russian emigrants ideas, emigration, adaptation practices

Publication based on the results of: Comparative studies of culture and subjective well-being: differentiation and integration of societies in the context of global challenges (2025)