Navigating Digital Borders: Seto Community in the Virtual Territory of the VK Social Network

DOI: https://doi.org/10.15826/csp.2025.9.1.318

Abstract

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.

Author Biography

Ksenya A. Maretina, Peter the Great Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography (Kunstkamera) of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Saint Petersburg, Russia

Ksenya A. Maretina, Cand. Sci. (Philology), Researcher, Laboratory of Museum Technologies at Peter the Great Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography (Kunstkamera) of the Russian Academy of Sciences (MAE RAS). In 2023, Ksenya Maretina successfully defended her thesis at the Saint Petersburg University. In 2020–2024, she held the position of a leading specialist in international relations at MAE RAS. In 2010–2024, with the intention to study local cultures and traditions, she undertook a number of field trips to India and, in 2024, to the Pechory District of Pskov Oblast. Her research interests cover cultural memory, cultural texts, virtual culture, Seto culture, and Indian culture. The list of her most recent publications include: Novel “The Palace of Illusions” (2008) by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni as an example of cross-cultural hybridization (2022); Ancient Indian epic Mahabharata as a symbol of Indian identity (on the material of modern Indian literary and cinematographic works) (2023, in Russ).

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Published
2025-04-30
How to Cite
Maretina, K. (2025). Navigating Digital Borders: Seto Community in the Virtual Territory of the VK Social Network. Changing Societies & Personalities, 9(1), 67–83. doi:10.15826/csp.2025.9.1.318
Citation Formats
Issue
Vol. 9, No. 1 (2025): Special Issue “Ethnic Identities in Virtual Space”
Section
Articles in the Special Section