Identity formation of the Armenian diaspora in the Krasnodar territory

The article determines the conditions and factors that ensure the identification of the Armenian diaspora in the Krasnodar Territory, and also examines the features of social interaction within the community. The constructivist methodology and institutional approach were chosen as the conceptual framework of the research. The empirical basis is formed by transcripts of focus groups obtained during interviews with representatives of the Armenian diaspora of the region, media materials and Internet resources. On the basis of the undertaken research, institutional mechanisms in the diaspora policy are determined. The markers of actualizing the Armenian identity in the Krasnodar Territory are described: religion, traditions, language, the construction of an image of being “different”, the consequences of collective trauma, and family values. It has been revealed that this social group in the Krasnodar Territory overcomes its internal heterogeneity (due to the ethnic differentiation of Armenians and the long history of migration waves) by determining the political and legal status, as well as expanding the network of public organizations that consolidate Russian Armenians. It is noted that the mechanisms for strengthening interethnic and inter-diasporic consent serve as a resource for reducing the conflict-prone nature of social relations in the region and can be integrated into identity politics at the local level.