Emptying towns reveal links between state withdrawal and political radicalization in Eastern Europe

Emptying towns reveal links between state withdrawal and political radicalization in Eastern Europe Sadie Harley Scientific Editor Andrew Zinin Chief Editor Across Europe, the 'emptying' of places abandoned by the state, capital and people is increasingly common. At the epicenter of this growing phenomenon are villages and towns in Eastern Europe and Russia, where the transition from socialism to capitalism has expelled people and places from investment and the care of the state—changes that, in some places, have been further intensified by war. Findings from a five-year research project led by anthropologists at the University of Oxford unpack the intersecting forces driving this radical change. The research also reveals what it means to live in and govern emptying places, as well as what these findings can tell us about growing disillusionment with the state by people who feel 'left behind' across Europe. Captured in a unique collection of essays, videos, films and images, these insights, gained through ethnographic research in the Latvian borderlands, Armenian highlands, central Ukraine and the Russian Far East, document what the residents of these places have to say about what it means, and how it feels, to live with emptiness. Findings show that: - Emptiness is a political decision rather than an inevitable consequence of market forces, with people and places expelled from investment and state care, while resources are concentrated elsewhere, usually in cities. - Experiences of abandonment contribute to political radicalization. Researchers found an overall radicalization among people living in emptying places, spanning the political left and right and manifesting in different ways. Some residents viewed imperial restoration or military power as the solution to the decline of their communities. - Emptiness is closely connected to large-scale emigration. Lack of investment and economic opportunity, and changes to border regimes, have contributed to people leaving in search of opportunities in Western Europe. - Local policy cannot reverse decline. Attempts to address decline with local-level policy can improve quality of life but cannot lead to fundamental changes in employment opportunities, freedom of movement or public services. - Communities develop different ways of living with emptiness. Residents adapt their lives by repairing buildings with industrial scraps, foraging for food and building materials, remaking social relationships and trying to make sense of their radically changing world. While there are similarities in how communities respond, there are variations as the places people live in become reforested areas, militarized zones or heritage sites. For example, in Russia, a community of Old Believers views emptying places as a spiritual refuge, while in Armenia, family and social networks, rather than state policies, sustain communities and places. Although conducted in post-socialist societies, the research offers wider lessons for Europe at a time when people, from retired industrial workers to students, feel 'left behind' by the state. Dr. Dace Dzenovska, lead researcher and associate professor in anthropology of migration at the University of Oxford, said, "Although the research focuses on what we call 'post-socialist emptiness,' it can serve as a lens for thinking about 'left behind' places across Europe. "For example, why is it that in Eastern Europe deindustrialization leads to emigration, whereas in England, in places like Blackpool, it has resulted in a concentration of poverty? By making sense of life elsewhere, anthropology invites critical reflection on one's own society." The research shows that examining how people experience and respond to emptiness can offer important insights into political disillusionment, the appeal of radical political alternatives and a growing sense among some communities that they have been excluded from the prospect of a better collective future. Dzenovska added, "While the decline or abandonment of places has happened before, today's emptiness comes at a time dominated by finance capitalism, worldwide securitization and the disappearance of the promise of a better future. "Instead of being incorporated into the market economy and welfare networks, as was the case in the heyday of modernity, people and places are being expelled from capital and the care of the state. Some people can move, while others are stuck in place. This makes the lived experience of emptiness strikingly new." The research is the culmination of "Emptiness: Living Capitalism and Democracy After (Post)Socialism," a research project led by the University of Oxford's Center for Migration, Policy and Society (COMPAS) and School of Anthropology and Museum Ethnography (SAME). More information Dace Dzenovska et al., Living Emptiness: Place, Power, and Meaning-Making from the Baltic to the Russian Far East, (2026). DOI: 10.21627/2026le Provided by University of Oxford