Transboundary nature of a closed border: Memory dynamics in Karelia’s border areas

The consequences of geopolitical turbulence are vividly manifested at state borders, influencing the functional mode of the border itself and the everyday life of borderland communities. The ongoing socio-cultural transformations and the border residents’ reflections on new life conditions can be explored through narratives of memory, which are being shaped by global challenges. The article focuses on the dynamics of historical memory in the borderlands of Russia and Finland, particularly in the context of the closure of the state border and the crisis in interstate relations. Using existing concepts in border studies and historical memory research, the author attempts to analyze narratives about the past cross-border interactions in the Karelian regions bordering Finland, specifically examining the Sortavala municipal district and the Kostomuksha urban district. The study argues that shifts in historical memory can be traced through an examination of narrative density and the clarity of categories of “others”, constructed based on interactions with narrative agents and the remoteness of these categories in the past. It further analyzes the role of reflective and restorative nostalgia in shaping perceptions of the memory culture among residents of neighboring countries. The author also differentiates levels of cross-border relations at both grassroots and interstate levels, describing different catalysts and motives for interaction. The paper also examines changing significance of the border itself and its borderland status, which determines strategies for social adaptation to new conditions in these areas. The first part of the article examines historical events in the Sortavala and Kostomuksha district that form the basis for memory narratives. The second part consists of three chapters and analyzes the narratives identified through interviews which were collected by the author in 2023–2024.