The train as a heterotopic place. The traumatic experiences of a Chechen refugee

Abstract

In this article, the train is shown as a heterotopic place, a “different space”. This issue is analyzed in the context of Michel Foucault’s heterotopia structure, which refers to six principles. The article characterizes the life and work of a Chechen refugee on the train that served as a refugee camp in Ingushetia in 1999. The text also describes the history of the Russian-Chechen wars over the centuries.