Navigating Digital Borders

Seto Community in the Virtual Territory of the VK Social Network

Bibliographic Data

ID22201750
AuthorsKsenia Aleksandrovna Shishova-Maretina (0000-0003-2445-4050, Peter the Great's Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography, corresponding author)
Year2025
Volume9
Issue1
Pages67-83
Publication date2025-04-30
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueChanging Societies and Personalities (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2587-6104 • E-ISSN: 2587-8964
PublisherUral Federal University (PUBLISHER • RU)
DOI10.15826/csp.2025.9.1.318
OpenAlexW4410332844
LanguageEN
References cited14

The paper examines the digital geography of the virtual Seto community in the VK social network (also known as VKontakte), focusing on how dispersed Seto people in Russia and Estonia use digital spaces to communicate, as well as express, preserve, and promote their cultural identity. By applying a multi-sited ethnographic methodology, the research involves both online explorations and offline semi-structured interviews, with fieldwork conducted in the Pechory District. Using the network and territory approaches to digital ethnography, the study highlights how the VK serves as a digital territory where Setos, divided by distances and physical borders, connect, share cultural practices, and foster a sense of community. Special attention is given to the Seto traditions of leelo polyphonic singing and festive costumes, both of which serve as vital markers of ethnic identity in this digital landscape. Through content analysis of Seto personal profiles and public pages, the research reveals how social networks help maintain connections and how digital geographies are constantly shaped and reshaped by cultural exchanges. This study underscores the adaptability of online spaces in sustaining fragmented ethnic communities across physical distances

Geography · Social media · World Wide Web · Asian Culture and Media Studies · Caching and Content Delivery · Computer Science · Social Media and Politics

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Open DOIOpen Access