Living with Isolation: The Local Border Resilience in the Kaliningrad Region

Abstract

This paper examines the impact of the Russian aggression against Ukraine on the daily life of Kaliningrad society. The example of the Kaliningrad Oblast proves that in geopolitically sensitive areas with changing border conditions, the population shows a high degree of resilience to external shocks. Introducing the concept of border resilience, specifically social borderland resilience, the paper argues that border communities can adapt and create new daily adaptations strategies to achieve life satisfaction despite geopolitical tensions. The resilience of Kaliningrad’s residents is evident in their changing cross-border mobility and creative solutions to accessing inaccessible goods and services. The analysis, based on in-depth interviews with Kaliningrad residents, offers insights into the socio-economic effects of border restrictions and the residents’ resilience and adaptability, contributing to the broader discourse on border resilience.