Unequal and Asymmetric Internationalisation of Large Russian Cities

Abstract

The author is grateful to Prof. Vladimir Kolossov for discussions and advice on this study and to Yana Rudneva, then a third-year student of Faculty of Geography, Lomonosov Moscow State University, for her contribution to the data collection. 2021 marks 30 years since the dissolution of the Soviet Union and Russia's reintegration into the globalising world. To what extent has Russia become internationalised? How international are large Russian cities? What economic, political and symbolic capital have Russian cities derived from their transnational connections and external ties? This study aspires to address these questions by revealing international actions that take place among and within Russian regional capitals.