Chinatown has its own unique position and influence in the world, did you know that Russia, our northern neighbor, has frequent trade with China, and there is no Chinatown.
When you think of Chinatown, you might think of a lively streetscape, fragrant Chinese food, and colorful shops, and almost every major city abroad has such a vibrant area.
New York, London, Paris, etc., no matter where you go, Chinatown has always been an important window to Chinese culture. When you turn your gaze to Russia, a great power to the north, the situation is very different.
Russia, the largest country in the world, shares thousands of kilometers of border with China, and the two countries have a long history of exchanges. As early as the Qing Dynasty, there were close exchanges between China and Russia.
If you're looking for a Chinatown in Moscow or St. Petersburg, you'll find that there is no such area. This phenomenon begs the wonder why there isn't an iconic Chinese community in a country with such close economic ties with China.
During the Qing Dynasty, Sino-Russian relations experienced many border disputes and wars. From 1858 to 1860, the Qing government was forced to sign the Treaty of Aihui and the Sino-Russian Treaty of Beijing with Tsarist Russia, losing more than one million square kilometers of territory.
This sense of humiliation is deeply engraved in the memory of Chinese. Although the situation has changed over time, the impact of this history remains.
After the collapse of Tsarist Russia and the rise of the Soviet Union in the 20th century, border disputes and territorial issues remained a pain point for China. Especially after the Yalta Conference in 1945, the Soviet Union declared war on Japan and put forward a series of demands for control of northeastern China, which further deepened the contradictions between the two countries.
In modern times, while political relations between China and Russia have largely been normalized and economic cooperation has been carried out in many areas, the shadow of history still seems to affect cultural and community exchanges between the two sides.
There are quite a few Chinese engaged in trade and other business activities in Russia, and most of them have chosen a more low-key lifestyle, without forming a distinct, concentrated Chinese area similar to that in other countries.
Russia's domestic policy also influenced the formation of Chinatown to a certain extent. Russia's relatively strict management of immigrants and minority communities has made the Chinese community more inclined to integrate into local society and difficult to form a separate, closed community.
This unique historical background and Russia's national policy have collectively shaped a Russian phenomenon without Chinatown. This phenomenon is a geographical or cultural gap, and it is the most direct reflection of the complex historical and practical policies of China and Russia.
In Russia, from economic cooperation zones to large markets, the activities of Chinese are quite frequent in Russia. Especially in the Far East, such as Vladivostok, the presence of Chinese businessmen is very strong. They run restaurants here, set up shop and participate in local construction projects.
In such an environment, the Chinese community maintains a sense of mobility and flexibility, rather than being fixed to a specific geographical location to form a traditional Chinatown. This is in stark contrast to other countries, such as the United States or Canada, where Chinatown is a hub of business activity and a center of culture and socialization.
Back in Russia, the Chinese here are more self-employed. They may have a stall in a local market or a shop in a commercial area, rarely clustered into a large community.
This phenomenon in Russia reflects the different adaptation strategies of Chinese overseas. In some countries, the Chinese maintain their cultural identity and support each other by building communities, while in Russia they may be more inclined to integrate into the local society and find space to survive and develop through communication and cooperation with the locals.
The Russian language and cultural environment is also one of the reasons why it is not easy for the Chinese to form a settlement. As the official language, Russian dominates daily life and business communication, which is a big challenge for Chinese who are new to Russia.
The living habits and cultural backgrounds of Russians are different from those of China, which requires Chinese people to adjust their lifestyles to better integrate into the local society.
Now the influence of the Chinese in Russia is gradually increasing. From business investment to cultural exchanges, from educational cooperation to tourism, China's ties with Russia are deepening. This in-depth exchange did not form a clear sign geographically, and at the economic and cultural level, the influence of the Chinese was obvious.
The absence of Chinatowns in Russia can be considered a special cultural and social phenomenon. It is about the choice of location, about the complex interweaving of history, policy, and personal choice.