The Spirit of the North Caucasus: new articles by the Centre for Youth Studies
In the recent issue of Sociological Research in 2026, two articles by CYS researchers based on the materials of expeditions to the North Caucasus were published at once. Elena Omelchenko and Irina Lisovskaya look at how young people in the cities of the region explain their migration intentions. In their article, Evgenia Kuziner and Natalia Solovyova analyze the practices of youth creativity by comparing two cases (Nalchik and Pyatigorsk).
The 2026 issue of the Journal of Sociological Research No. 2 published two articles about the youth of the North Caucasus.
The article by Elena Omelchenko and Irina Lisovskaya "Migration plans of the youth of the North Caucasus in the context of attachment to the region" is devoted to the study of migration intentions of young people in five cities of the North Caucasus region: Nalchik, Cherkessk, Stavropol, Pyatigorsk, Vladikavkaz. Based on an empirical base of 86 interviews and survey data, the researchers consider how the decision to “leave or stay” is formed taking into account the local identity of Caucasian youth.
Youth migration plans involve emotional attachments to a place, family and friends, involvement in family networks of financial support, and local resources for their lives and studies. Young people independently outline the horizons of their future. Young people interpret unwillingness or inability to leave the region in different ways, referring to family circumstances, prospects for self-realization in conditions of reduced competition and support from relatives. Migration trends vary, but communication with the city and the region plays a key role in the decision of the youth of all cities.
In their article "Forms of youth Creativity in the North Caucasus: cases of Nalchik and Pyatigorsk" Evgenia Kuziner and Natalia Solovyova draw attention to the forms of creativity available to young people in two cases of cities in the North Caucasus region (Nalchik and Pyatigorsk). The focus is of particular interest in the context of the contradiction between the tourist branding of territories and the preservation of local authenticity, which is typical for the region of study.
A comparative analysis based on 83 in-depth interviews and survey results reveals fundamental differences in the perception and practices of youth creativity: in Nalchik, creative activity develops mainly in the DIY logic. "do it yourself"), relying on horizontal networks and compensating for the lack of institutional support, whereas in Pyatigorsk it is embedded in institutional and entrepreneurial channels, where the university and municipal structures act as key intermediaries. Qualitative data capture the role of youth as carriers of limited agency and mediators between global cultural trends and local identities. The study demonstrates that the difference between the two locations lies not in the amount of creativity, but in the mechanisms of its legitimization and support, which determine the sustainability of youth creative practices in the region.
Both materials were prepared within the framework of the project "Sustainability and creative potential of youth in the North Caucasus region in the context of educational and labor migration", supported by the Russian Science Foundation. Articles are published in Russian language.
