Characteristics of the Fourth Wave of Russian-Speaking Migration to the Czech Republic

Transnational Approaches, Belonging, and Identity Strategies

Abstract

This study focuses on the internal transformations of identity and
belonging within the Russian-speaking migrant community in the Czech
Republic, with particular emphasis on the case of the vocal ensemble “Russian
Soul.” Drawing on theoretical frameworks of transnationalism (Basch,
Glick Schiller, Blanc 1994), mobile identity (Vertovec 2009), translocational
positionality (Anthias 2006), and hybrid subjectivity (Hall 1995), the author
explores how everyday cultural practices, internal competition, and external
political conditions shape identity strategies in a migration context.
Methodologically, the article adopts a mixed-methods approach, combining
analysis of online communication, a questionnaire survey with 61 respondents,
and autoethnographic observation within a cultural collective founded by the
researcher herself. This design allows for the identification of subtle shifts in
systems of loyalty, symbolic boundaries, and mechanisms of cultural capitalisation
that often remain overlooked.
Special attention is given to the fragmentation of the ensemble as a symptom
of broader diasporic dynamics – where collective belonging gives way to
individual positioning strategies. The case illustrates how culture can shift
from a vehicle of solidarity to a space of negotiation, and how identity becomes
a flexible resource under conditions of institutional uncertainty. This article
contributes to the study of Russian-speaking migration in Central Europe by
offering empirical insight into the everyday identity dynamics of small cultural
initiatives.