From chelnoki to global players

Encounters in the context of Caucasian(-Chinese) trade since the 1990s

Abstract

This article is about the development of market places and trading activities in Armenia and Georgia since the 1990s. It starts with a description of the activities of single individuals (so-called chelnoki) after the breakdown of the Soviet system, describes the proliferation of market places or bazaars since this time, the emergence of a new generation of traders, their links to China, and finally the growing influence of Chinese traders and investors in the Caucasus. From an analytical point of view, the description of changes in economic practices reflects the shifting moral attitudes and values in Armenian and Georgian societies and provides an insight into the changing relations of people, traders and businessmen with the state. Thus, this research contributes to the body of literature that is concerned with the relationship between formality and informality, and in particular, with the topic of ‘globalisation from above and below’.