The political and territorial delineation of the European Union at its external borders brings profound changes for the eastern neighboring countries. Kristine Müller addresses this isolation in terms of its effectiveness as a socio-spatial boundary and examines its impact on the everyday practices of cross-border actors in Russia and Ukraine. From a social geography perspective, the author demonstrates how the differentiated effects of Schengen regulations contribute to the reinforcement of already existing social inequality structures among the border population.