July 7–28, 2018

Republic of Mari El, Republic of Tatarstan, Chuvash Republic, Nizhny Novgorod Region

Fieldwork along the Middle Volga

In July 2018, the Group for Migration and Ethnicity Research conducted a student expedition across the regions of the Middle Volga. The expedition was led by E.A. Varshaver and A.L. Rocheva and brought together students and early-career researchers interested in ethnicity and migration.

The fieldwork took place in rural areas and small towns of the Republic of Mari El, Republic of Tatarstan, Chuvash Republic, and the southeastern part of the Nizhny Novgorod Region. Participants explored how ethnicity is expressed in everyday life: how people describe their own and others’ ethnic identities, what meanings they assign to the concept of “nationality,” and how local ethnic hierarchies are structured. In addition to in-depth interviews, the team used discourse analysis and participant observation.

In the photo: expedition participants by the cars, preparing for the next move

How the Expedition Was Organized

The expedition consisted of three stages. The first took place at the Summer School near Dubna, where participants prepared for fieldwork: reading texts, discussing theory, designing the study, and practicing interviews. The second stage — fieldwork — involved living in tents, traveling between locations by car, conducting interviews, and collecting data. The final stage returned to the Summer School for analysis: transcribing and coding interviews, discussing findings, and drafting reports.

Preparing an interview guide at the campsite near Sergach

A Look Back at the Expedition

In an interview for the Summer School, the expedition leader shared insights into the fieldwork process and key research outcomes:

“Three Weeks in the Life of the Field Research Center Workshop” [in Russian]

Group photo after completing the field stage