"Heilongjiang" or "Amur"? The Competition of Historical Memories and the Formation of a Transnational Social Space on the China-Russia Border

The subject of the research is the competition of historical memories and the formation of a transnational social space along the China-Russia border by the Amur River (Heilongjiang). The object of the study includes the border regions of Russia and China, including the Zabaykalsk-Manchuria and Blagoveshchensk-Heihe areas, where economic, humanitarian, and cultural interactions develop over a distance of approximately 2,661 km. The author examines in detail aspects of the topic such as the stages of border formation (the Nerchinsk Treaty of 1689, the Aigun and Peking Treaties of 1858–1860), the dual toponym of the river as a symbol of national memory, and social memories of conflicts and resettlements. Special attention is paid to the competition of narratives in memory politics, textbooks, museums, and media, as well as their influence on contemporary practices of tourism, trade, and cultural exchanges that promote transnational integration. The methodology of the research is based on historical-comparative analysis of treaties, memory narratives, and modern practices, relying on literature and empirical examples of border interaction. The novelty of the study lies in the comprehensive analysis of the dual toponym "Amur/Heilongjiang" as a symbol of the competition of historical memories, where the Chinese narrative emphasizes "territorial loss" through unequal treaties (Aigun, Peking), while the Russian narrative focuses on the development of the Far East as an expansion of statehood. This allows for the uncovering of the mechanism of forming a transnational social space, where memory ceases to be a source of conflict and becomes a resource for cooperation. The main conclusions of the conducted research are: historical memory transforms through modern practices—tourism with museums and monuments reflecting both versions of history; cross-border trade stimulating economic interdependence; cultural festivals, exchanges of "sister cities," and joint archaeological expeditions that reduce tensions. Infrastructure projects, such as the Nizhnelininskoye-Tunjiang Bridge, play a significant role in strengthening social ties.