Migration patterns during a period of political and economic shocks in the former soviet union: A case study of yaroslavl’ oblast

This paper examines migration in Russia during the period that preceded the breakup of the former Soviet Union (FSU) and during the current transition period. An unusually rich dataset is used to conceptualize the impact that the political and economic collapse of a world superpower has on a migration system. A regional case study of migration in Yaroslavl’ Oblast from 1989 through 1992 is used to examine the relevance of expected outcomes given standard theories of migration, empirical regularities found in capitalist economies, and past trends in the FSU. The data clearly show a migration system undergoing political and economic shocks. A significant decline of the volume of flows and a relative increase in the importance of interrepublic movement indicate disruptions. Increased relative mobility for those in the later years of the working-age population and increased importance of urban-to-rural migration flows are also important changes evident in this migration system undergoing shock.