Cross-Border Interactions Of The Pskov Region In The Context Of Restrictions: Policy – Perception – Practice

Kira A. Morachevskaya; Alexander B. Sebentsov; Mikhail S. Karpenko; Andrei V. Radikevich

doi:10.24057/2071-9388-2025-4161

Cross-Border Interactions Of The Pskov Region In The Context Of Restrictions: Policy – Perception – Practice

Kira A. Morachevskaya, Alexander B. Sebentsov, Mikhail S. Karpenko, Andrei V. Radikevich

https://doi.org/10.24057/2071-9388-2025-4161

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Abstract

This paper uses the ‘Policy – Perception – Practice’ approach to assess the impact of neighbourhood character dynamics and restrictions on cross-border relations in the Pskov region between 2013 and 2024. The information base includes the authors’ database of documents that regulate various aspects of cross-border interactions in Russia, over 3,000 articles from Pskov media for 2013-2024, and expert interviews with government officials, as well as semi-structured interviews with the population in the regional capital and specific border towns. The analysis found that the cross-border relations of the Pskov region are asymmetric. Before the global pandemic and the geopolitical crisis of 2022, there was an emphasis on fostering cooperation with Latvia and Estonia, a collaboration that was institutionalised. The prevailing sentiment among the population, as shown by an analysis of media discourse, was that the Baltic borderland was seen only as a source of opportunities, while the Belarusian borderland was also viewed as a source of challenges. This finding underscores the imperative for cross-border cooperation to mitigate the potential for illegal activities, competitive economic pressures, illegal migration, and trade-related activities to grow without such collaboration. Despite a clear increase in the intensity of cross-border ties with Belarus after 2022, the study reveals significant shortcomings in the current approach to cross-border cooperation in Russia.

Keywords

cross-border cooperation, discourse analysis, cross-border mobility, border resource, open border, asymmetric crossborder interactions

About the Authors

Kira A. Morachevskaya

Institute of Geography Russian Academy of Sciences; Saint Petersburg State University
Russian Federation

29 Staromonetny pereulok, 119017, Moscow

7-9 Universitetskaya nab., 199034, Saint Petersburg

Alexander B. Sebentsov

Institute of Geography Russian Academy of Sciences
Russian Federation

29 Staromonetny pereulok, 119017, Moscow

Mikhail S. Karpenko

Institute of Geography Russian Academy of Sciences
Russian Federation

29 Staromonetny pereulok, 119017, Moscow

Andrei V. Radikevich

Institute of Geography Russian Academy of Sciences; Lomonosov Moscow State University
Russian Federation

29 Staromonetny pereulok, 119017, Moscow

Leninskie gory, 1, 199991, Moscow

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Review

For citations:

Morachevskaya K.A., Sebentsov A.B., Karpenko M.S., Radikevich A.V. Cross-Border Interactions Of The Pskov Region In The Context Of Restrictions: Policy – Perception – Practice. GEOGRAPHY, ENVIRONMENT, SUSTAINABILITY. 2025;18(4):149-157. https://doi.org/10.24057/2071-9388-2025-4161

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