“Empty Spaces” and Their Inhabitants in Far Eastern Russian Cities: the Case of Khabarovsk

Abstract

One of the distinct features of the spatial organization of Russian cities is the significant proportion of single-family residential zones and other non-urban spaces. These spaces are most often viewed as “empty spaces” that need to be transformed into a “real” city. Residents of such spaces are invisible to the observer, and their existence has been repeatedly studied using examples of European and American cities. There they are more often discussed in the context of poverty or ethnic discrimination. This  has had a significant impact on how the problem was previously addressed in Russia. These  groups were seen as social outsiders who needed to adapt to urban conditions. This article addresses the problem from a different perspective. The subject of analysis is not the reasons for entering these spaces or the forms of adaptation of “invisible people” to the forms of normal social life, but the way of life and self-awareness of residents of such non-urban enclaves. Empirically, the study is based on inclusive observation and two series of informal biographical interviews conducted by the authors in the city of  Khabarovsk. Additional material includes city maps and official statistics. The authors show that communities of non-urban spaces of cities have a specific way of producing space. Communities actively interact with the urban space itself, changing it in their own image and likeness. The results show that such behavior for the majority of respondents is not a forced measure, but a conscious choice.