Entertainment Places of Russian ‘Relocants’ as Spaces of Inclusion

Speaker: Silvi Marutyan, Undergraduate Student, Faculty of Sociology, Yerevan State University, ARISC Fellow

Date & Time: Thursday, September 19, at 7pm Yerevan, 11:00am US EDT

Zoom: https://bit.ly/3XcwWbi

(Registration required)

In recent years, Yerevan has become a cultural hub for Russian migrants, many of whom have created entertainment venues that serve as social spaces. The speaker explores how these venues, ranging from cafes to cultural centers, foster social inclusion and cultural adaptation for the Russian expatriate community in Armenia. Through interviews with venue founders and patrons, the speaker analyzes the role these spaces play in identity formation, the challenges they face in a new cultural environment, and their contribution to the local community. These entertainment spaces are more than just recreational—they represent vital nodes of cultural exchange and social support for Russian migrants adapting to life in Yerevan.

Silvi Marutyan is a Bachelor’s student at the Faculty of Sociology at Yerevan State University. Her research focuses on migration and social inclusion, particularly the role of entertainment venues in the adaptation of Russian migrants in Yerevan. Silvi has worked extensively on issues of cultural identity, community building, and the dynamics of social spaces in urban settings. She explores how migrants form secondary social structures in new countries, and how these spaces help them adapt while maintaining their cultural heritage.

Silvi Marutyan is also an ARISC Fellow who had been awarded the ARISC Small Grants. This event is sponsored by the American Research Institute of the South Caucasus (ARISC). The lectures are free and open to the public. Learn more at www.arisc.org

ARISC does not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, color, sex, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, religion, national origin, physical or mental disability, medical condition, ancestry, marital status, education, age, income, socio-economic status, or status as a covered veteran.