Small states as Soviet‑era cultural preserves

Some small countries retain the cultural institutions and social habits of a prior imperial order even when the geopolitical center shifts. Armenia, per Cowen, still has active classical music, theatre, chess strength, and Soviet‑era museum collections that together make it feel more Soviet in cultural fabric than contemporary Russia. — Recognizing these preserves helps explain why local identity, soft power, and foreign alignments persist in ways that reshape migrant flows, tourism demand, and geopolitical expectations.