Sociocultural Integration of Labor Migrants from Post-Soviet Countries into Russian Host Society in the Context of Eurasian Integration

The article aims to identify the key aspects of the sociocultural integration of labor migrants from post-Soviet countries into Russian host society and to conduct a comparative analysis of integration processes by country of origin in the context of the current Eurasian integration agenda. The study employs a multidimensional operationalization of integration encompassing five distinct dimensions: language proficiency assessed across four language skills; participation in local community life; intergroup social contacts; cultural “bridging,” manifested in reciprocal invitations to celebrations; and long-term orientations, including the intention to acquire Russian citizenship. This approach makes it possible to identify the internal asynchrony of integration processes and avoids reducing them to a single composite indicator. The empirical analysis is based on data from a standardized questionnaire survey of labor migrants from seven post-Soviet countries. Cross-country differences were examined using statistical group-comparison procedures. The findings reveal a pronounced asymmetry among the individual dimensions of integration. The highest levels were recorded for language proficiency and long-term orientations associated with permanent settlement in Russia and the acquisition of Russian citizenship. By contrast, participation in local events and everyday involvement in community life were substantially less pronounced. Intergroup contacts and practices of cultural interaction with the host population were reported by more than half of the respondents. The comparison of country groups revealed no consistent relationship between migrants’ country of origin being a member of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) and their level of sociocultural integration. Differences within the group of EAEU member states were comparable to, or greater than, differences between country groups, while the institutional asymmetry of legal regimes did not automatically translate into everyday integration practices. The study concludes that the sociocultural integration of labor migrants from post-Soviet countries constitutes a multidimensional and internally contradictory configuration in which language proficiency and long-term orientations outpace involvement in local community life. The findings suggest that post-Soviet labor migration should be viewed not only as temporary employment but also as a potential pathway to long-term settlement. They further highlight the need for differentiated integration policies that take into account the gaps between individual dimensions of integration.