“Small homeland” in the big city: The role of regional communities in identity formation (on the example of the Republic of Tatarstan)

Abstract

The article considers fellowmen communities in municipal districts of the Republic of Tatarstan as a form of informal self-organization and influential elements in the regional social-cultural life. These communities are analyzed as erroneous forms of unification of Tatarstan rural residents in cities, which perform social, cultural and communicative functions. Based on empirical observations, interviews and case studies, the author shows how fellowmen communities become a space for reproducing local identity and maintaining horizontal connections and a symbol of the “small homeland”; considers their integration into the system of power relations and their role in the territorial social-economic development; explains transformation of regional communities from informal mutual aid groups to structured entities interacting with the authorities, business and cultural organizations, supporting social-cultural practices, symbolic politics and informal legitimation. The theoretical basis of the study includes the concepts of local identity, social networks, P. Bourdieu’s theory of capital and theory of patron-client relations, which allows to interpret regional communities not as relics of rural culture but as contemporary dynamic formations integrated into the regional governance system. Thus, the study reveals mechanisms for preserving local communities and new forms of collectivity emerging at the intersection of urbanization, migration and cultural self-determination, which helps to understand hybrid models of regional development.