Chelpanova D.D. Economic Strategies of Russian Relocants in Armenia After 2022

Diana  D.  Chelpanova
Federal Research Centre the Southern Scientific Centre of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Rostov-on-Don, Russian Federation

Abstract. Based on the survey of Russian relocants who moved to Armenia between 2022 and 2024, the article examines the main economic strategies of this migration wave. The sample consists of 20 in-depth interviews with Russians who left the Russian Federation after the start of the Special Military Operation and later. The study also draws on contemporary research, official statistics, and expert assessments. The main focus is not only on the reasons for relocation and adaptation practices but also on the impact of the influx of Russian relocants on the economy of Armenia. Highly educated young people primarily employed in the information and telecommunications sector and entrepreneurship, motivated by political and economic reasons, formed the basis of the migration flow to Armenia in the period 2022–2024. The main economic adaptation strategies for Russians were relocation and starting a business, as well as investing in the information and telecommunications industry. Armenia became a digital hub for IT specialists. The positive impact on the economy of Armenia manifested itself in significant macroeconomic growth. With the arrival of Russians, the country’s GDP grew (12.6%), the information and telecommunications industry, the banking sector, and the service sector developed, and the tax base and the volume of money transfers increased. At the same time, the negative consequences associated with the stay of Russian citizens in Armenia were noted as well. There was a sharp price increase for renting and buying real estate in the country and a decrease in its accessibility to the local population. Dependence of Armenia on geopolitical factors and challenges increased amid the cooling of Russian-Armenian relations.
Key words: migration, emigration, Russian migrants, relocants, economy, economic adaptation, adaptation strategies, business relocation, Armenia, economic impact, IT sector, price increase.
Citation. Chelpanova D.D., 2026. Economic Strategies of Russian Relocants in Armenia After 2022. Regionalnaya ekonomika. Yug Rossii [Regional Economy. South of Russia], vol. 14, no. 1, pp. 102-108. (in Russian). DOI: https://doi.org/10.15688/re.volsu.2026.1.10

Attachments: /upload/medialibrary/251/fmib3cp6s89dziwr3d0a9qngqyviaksc.pdf