Contemporary Migration and Traditional Diasporas in Russia: The Case of the Armenians in Moscow

The disintegration of the USSR caused certain new social and demographic developments in the Russian Federation. Immigration from the former Soviet republics, mainly to Russia’s largest cities, is a new phenomenon for Russia. This process led to the formation of new diasporas in Russia and to the development of the traditional ones. This article examines the case of the Armenian diaspora in a great megalopolis, i.e. in Moscow. The Armenian diaspora in Moscow is a very old phenomenon, well integrated into Moscow society and very diversified. New immigrants from the CIS countries are entering Moscow Armenian society, changing its characteristics and increasing its social and cultural variety. Their crucial problem is integration into the host society, without the loss of their identity. These migrants could help in resolving the economic problems of the Republic of Armenia (first of all, of their own families), as well as some demographic problems of the Russian Federation.