Ethnic and demographic processes in the Russian Arctic

Автор: Flera Kh. Sokolova

Журнал: Arctic and North @arctic-and-north

Рубрика: Culturology

Статья в выпуске: 21, 2015 года.

Бесплатный доступ

The population dynamics and ethno-national structure of Russian Arctic are analyzed and presented in the materials of Soviet and Russian census. А number of trends has been identified: negative demographic dynamics and outflow of population, especially in those regions, where the provision of foreign exchange reserves due to mining operations has decreased significantly. The European part of the Russian Arctic tends to be a monoethnic area where the population is predominantly old-settled (indigenous people and smallnumbered indigenous people). In economically attractive regions there is a fixed increase in the number of representatives from Central Asia Caucasus and the Asian-Pacific region. The increase in the number of indigenous small-numbered people is the key to preserving and developing the culture of these ethnic groups, but on the other hand it has a potential threat, including the contradictions between the need for industrial development of the Arctic and the need to preserve the indigenous way of life.

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Russian Arctic, ethnic and demographic processes, ethno-national structure, indigenous peoples

Короткий адрес: https://sciup.org/148318696

IDR: 148318696   |   DOI: 10.17238/issn2221-2698.2015.21.151

Текст научной статьи Ethnic and demographic processes in the Russian Arctic

In today's world with its unevenness of development of ethno-demographic, powerful inter-state and inter-ethnic migration exchanges, a high degree of inter-ethnic cooperation, studing the dynamics of demographic development and ethnic structure of particular countries and regions is extremely important. Comprehensive and complex reconstruction of the ethnic and demographic composition of the territories in historical perspective is the basis for optimization of the demographic, socio-economic, ethnic and cultural policies of states and regions; taking into account the ethnic component, it allows timely response to the exacerbation of ethno-political situation and prevention of the ethnic conflicts.

Of particular significance are the analysis and study of this problem on the national level. Russia has many centuries of coexistence of many nations, that, on the one hand, has accumulated international collaboration and cooperation, and, on the other, there are some ethnic tension caused by the Soviet and post-Soviet national policy, sharp social and economic polarization of the Russian regions which boundaries often coincide with the territories of different ethnic groups.

Some territories in Russia differ substantially in terms of population dynamics and the ethnic structure that makes them interesting for the concrete areas of regional studies aimed at identifying nationwide trends and specifics of particular areas.

Ethnic and demographic processes in the Russian Arctic

One of these regions, where the dynamics of ethno-demographic processes requires a thorough and balanced analysis is the Russian Arctic, due to its role and place in the system of geopolitical and national interests. On the other hand, the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation — the territory of primordial indigenous people’s area, has demographic problems, issues related to the traditional way of life and indgenous cultures, needs better socio-economic development in order to strengthen the human potential of the region. As it is stated in the State program “Socioeconomic development of the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation for the period until 2020”, approved by Decree of the Government of 21.04.2014 №366, complex socio-economic development of the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation is to improve the quality of life of the indigenous population and the socio-economic and business environment in the Arctic - are the priority for governance of the territory.

Subjects of the ethnic and demographic processes in the country and its regions are actively discussed in Russian scientific literature. Of particular interest are subjects relating to ethnic and demographic processes in the national-territorial formations and multi-ethnic regions [1]. The object of attention of researchers are demographic processes among certain ethnic groups, including those living in the North [2,3,4,5]. However, at the present time, we do not have a holistic view of ethno-national composition and ethno-demographic situation in the Russian Arctic, subjects of the present study. Without pretending to be exhaustive, the author coveres of the issue in a limited form of an article, where the dynamics of ethno-demographic processes in the Arctic region is presented on the basis of census 1989, 2002, 2010, which is extremely important in the context of finding ways to optimize the ethnic and cultural development of regional communities and the timely detection of potential threats, ethno-national conflicts, their causes and contributing factors, develop a set of appropriate measures for their pre-empt and resolve.

The population of the Russian Arctic according to the census of 1989, 2002, 2010.

The Arctic zone of the Russian Federation consists entirely territory of four subjects of the Russian Federation: Murmansk region, Nenets, Chukotka and Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous District, and in 16 municipalities of the Arkhangelsk Region, the Krasnoyarsk Territory, the republics of Komi and Sakha (Yakutia), a number of islands in the Arctic Ocean.

The total population of the land territories of the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation, in 1989 reached 3.3 million people representing 35.4% of the population of Arctic subjects of the Russian Federation and 2.3% of the population (Table 1).

Table 1 Population Dynamics in the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation

Subarctic regions of the Russian Arctic

Population (people)

AZRF: territories

Population of the 4 regions and 16 municipalities of the AZRF (peoples)

1989 (1)

2002 (2)

2010 (3)

1989 (1)

2002 (2)

2010 (3)

Russia

147 mln

145 mln

142,9 mln

Total population in the subjects of the RF

9 354 237

7 765 445

7 326 459

AZRF

3 309 380

2 626 486

2 424 421

Murmansk Region.

1 146 757

892 534

795 409

Murmansk Region.

1 146 757

892 534

795 409

Nenets AD

54 840

41 546

42 090

Nenets AD

54 840

41 546

42 090

Chukotsky AD

157 528

53 824

50 526

Chukotsky AD

157 528

53 824

50 526

YaNAO

486 164

507 006

522 904

YaNAO

486 164

507 006

522 904

Komi Republic

1 261 024

1 018 674

901 189

Vorkuta

216 176

84 917

70 548

Republic of Sakha (Yakutia)

1 081 408

949 280

958 528

Republic of Sakha (Yakutia)

81 335

33 161

28 325

Allaikhovskij ulus (area)

5 218

3 421

3 050

Anabarskij nacional. ulus (area)

3 903

4 024

3 501

Bulunskij area

17 257

9 775

9 054

Nizhnekolymskij area

13 692

5 932

4 664

Ust-Yanskij ulus

41 265

10 009

8 056

Krasnoyarsky Krai

3 596 260

2 966 042

2 828 187

Krasnoyarsky Krai

341 977

274 133

229 392

Norilsk

267 609

221 908

176 252

Tayimirsky Dolgano-Nenetsky MR

55 111

39 786

34 432

Turukhansky region

19 257

12 439

18 708

Arkhangelsk Region

1 570 256

1 336 539

1 227 626

Arkhangelsk Region

824 603

690 110

659 921

Arkhangelsk

424 728

356 051

348 783

Mezenskij MR

17 796

13 124

10 330

Novaya Zemlya

2 716

2 429

Novodvinsk

50 183

43 383

40 615

Onezhskij MR

22 269

16 791

14 017

Primorskij MR

31 813

29 365

25 466

Severodvinsk

251 392

201 551

192 353

Sources: census of 1989, the population of the Soviet Union, the Russian Federation and its territorial units by the sex. National Population Census 2002 population of Russia, the subjects of the Russian Federation in the federal districts, districts, townships, towns, district centers and villages with a population of three thousand and more. Vol. 01.04. National Population Census 2010 population of Russia, the subjects of the Russian Federation: the federal districts, districts, townships, towns, district centers and villages with a population of three thousand and more. The 2010 Census.Vol. 01.05.

Since 1989, the population of the Russian Arctic has decreased from 309 380 to 3 424 421 people. Among the four subjects of the Russian Federation, full members of the Russian Arctic, the population increased by 2010 only in the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous District. Reduced is the number of the population in all 16 municipalities of the Russian Arctic.

The processes of formation, development and transformation of the ethnic landscape goes on due to many factors: the milestones and stages of development and settlement of areas, the heroic and dramatic pages of the history of the country and the region, the dynamics of social, economic and demographic development, voluntary, forced and involuntary migration.

Original ethnic character of the study area, no doubt, is determined by the indigenous population, whose stay in the Russian Arctic goes into the depth of centuries. This are primarily indigenous peoples of the North, as well as Komi and Yakuts, whose number exceeds 50 thousand people. Ages had passed since Russians came to stay in the Arctic and since the move of North European Slavs associated with 10th—11th centuries. The development of the north-eastern area (Pechora, Ugra, Siberia) began in the period of the Novgorod Republic, in 11th—15th centuries. [6, p. 136—144].

Distant from the center the circumpolar territory of Russia was a place of political exile under the tsarist and Soviet regimes, which contributed to the poly-ethnic composition of the Northern territories. Among the exiles: the participants of the Polish uprising of 1860; of the population deported from Western Ukraine, Western Byelorussia and the Baltic states after the accession of these territories to the USSR in 1939—1940s; thousands of special settlers from the central, southern, southwestern and western areas of the country during the period of the mass of solid collectivization.

Forced migration of various nationalities in the North is related to the dramatic events of the First World War and the Great Patriotic War, when the population of the western areas of the country hurried to leave the zone of active hostilities and seek refuge status in safer areas.

A powerful impetus to an increase in the total population of ethnic groups living in the region has been given by a positive demographic dynamics and mass voluntary labor immigration to the region in 1930s—1980. In the Arctic regions of Russia, in those years, there was an intensive process of exploration and development of rich natural and mineral resources, industries, agriculture, a ma- jor traffic artery linking into circumpolar territory and providing foreign trade — the Northern Sea Route.

Quantitative and qualitative human capacity and manpower was provided by a high level of wages, various benefits and preferences for those working and living in the Far North, the development of social and cultural infrastructure, improving the protection of children and mothers and other privileges. As a result, only for the period 1959—1989, the overall number of people living in the Russian Arctic increased by almost 3.5 million people or 60%. In 1989 there lived 9,350,000 people2.

Ethnic composition of the Russian Arctic by the data of census

Ethnic and cultural space of the Russian Arctic is represented by almost all the peoples living in the Soviet Union. 77.3% were Russian. In the study area, the number of the Russian population was significantly higher and amounted to 84—92% of the population. Accordingly, in the autonomous regions, republics and national districts — significantly lower, but the overall — more than 50% (Table 2).

Dynamics of the ethnic and cultural composition of the Russian Arctic (1)

Table 2

Ethnic groups

Murmansk Region

Nenets AD

Chukotsky АD

Yamalo-

Nenetsky АD

Komi

Republic

Republic of Sakha (Yakutia)

Krasnoyars ky Krai

Arkhangelsk Region (incl. NAD)

1989

2010

1989

2010

1989

2010

1989

2010

1989

2010

1989

2010

1989

2010

1989

2010

Azerbaijnis

2695

3841

93

157

326

107

3418

9291

4728

4858

1758

2040

8327

16

341

2761

2605

Armenians

1521

1618

51

387

105

1296

1605

2171

1717

1138

3691

3375

10

677

1257

1040

Bashkirs

1320

27

340

125

6830

8297

5313

2333

4190

1819

5485

2955

793

Belarusians

38

794

12 050

1051

283

3045

364

12

609

6480

26

730

8859

9900

2527

33

856

9900

19

949

5810

Bulgarians

510

275

16

2

25

814

969

486

552

209

659

317

284

124

Buryats

234

149

169

8471

7011

1463

1051

Greeks

267

147

3

484

301

469

188

608

215

1179

635

139

-

Georgians

690

370

45

3

30

633

544

1683

614

794

364

2301

1336

1031

347

Dargin

252

211

767

263

251

318

316

116

Dolgans

408

1906

5460

5810

Jews

1919

457

46

2

332

29

1091

239

1281

314

1125

227

3620

1147

927

307

Ingush

129

203

437

249

123

594

923

481

448

142

Indians

1

15

6

368

Kabardins

171

169

124

348

128

422

190

Kalmyks

50

164

391

147

694

213

Kazakhs

911

518

59

17

70

1386

1532

1915

357

1760

1338

3827

1970

903

255

Karely

3505

1376

580

180

294

700

180

Kets

2

994

957

Kyrgyz

292

137

9

40

30

1815

343

731

566

5022

2547

8423

166

89

Chinese

7

329

926

554

2439

18

14

Komi

2167

1649

5124

3623

5746

5141

2915

42

2023

48

788

159

7256

4583

Koreans

318

173

12

3

28

199

266

401

196

1498

1421

1275

1029

146

78

Kumyks

174

8

672

4466

246

235

486

596

Latvians

664

183

32

1

11

993

259

298

91

6414

2189

391

Lezgins

484

951

116

504

1879

930

1406

378

364

1215

2800

335

394

Lithuanians

1289

354

40

5

16

413

3066

977

607

206

3520

1277

1174

287

Mari

1348

852

26

84

152

1197

2078

4067

2280

1166

455

7748

3314

956

545

Moldovans

3216

1309

105

48

672

91

5570

4712

5155

2318

3674

1622

5101

2749

2576

957

Mordva

4214

1625

65

21

395

41

1979

1257

3927

1462

2969

1523

14

873

4295

1610

553

Nanai

807

Nganasans

1128

Germans

1454

725

88

10

506

108

3188

1847

12

866

5441

4099

1540

54

254

22

363

2237

848

Nenets

176

149

6423

7504

20

917

29

772

376

503

2661

3633

7178

8020

Nogais

648

3479

201

327

357

950

Ossetians

560

347

9

391

89

684

466

758

323

1387

623

1957

1493

424

126

Poles

1836

652

62

22

258

31

870

455

2181

843

894

297

4056

1268

1430

390

Russians

965

727

64 2310

35

489

26

648

108

297

25

068

292

808

312

019

721

780

555

963

550

263

353

649

3110

972

2490

730

1446

210

1148

821

Selkups

1530

1988

367

281

Sami

1615

1599

Pomors

235

7

2015

Tabasaran

521

321

299

Tajiks

189

332

16

50

16

1482

645

260

2696

1377

6304

342

401

Tatars

11

459

5624

524

209

2272

451

26

431

28

509

25

980

10

779

17

478

8122

54 052

34

828

5391

2335

Tuva

204

2570

2933

Turks

35

5

3

15

90

31

Turkmen

61

21

2

606

51

767

477

392

45

Udmurts

1501

597

184

20

809

583

3573

1593

804

290

5240

2026

1185

509

Uzbeks

872

1122

63

118

79

685

1775

2593

939

780

3332

4761

6434

1046

435

Ukrainians

105

079

34

268

3728

987

27

600

2869

85 022

48

985

104

170

36 082

77

114

20

341

118

763

38 012

53

428

16

976

Khanty

1

7247

9489

Finns

590

273

302

112

315

1076

303

254

Khakas

351

69

325

4102

Gypsies

169

121

1

746

425

239

2358

1901

1050

897

Chechens

107

5

968

2434

537

470

377

1114

685

315

238

Chuvans

75

944

897

Chuvash

3865

1782

171

450

166

3657

3471

11

253

5077

3140

1123

26

865

11

036

2939

1357

Chukchi

11

914

12

772

473

670

Evenki

13

14

428

21 008

4382

4372

Evens

1336

1392

8668

15 071

197

Eskimos

1452

1529

11

Estonians

468

103

12

2

1

651

151

234

53

6061

2346

388

Yukaghirs

198

697

1281

Yakuts

62

365

236

466

492

1778

Sources: All-Union census of 1989. National composition of the population in the Russian regions. Demoscope 15 - December 31, 2014 №623-624. URL: (Accessed: 01 March 2015). National Population Census 2010. Population by nationality and knowledge of the Russian language in the subjects of the Russian Federation. Vol. 04-04 URL: croc / (Accessed: 11 November 2014).

The policy of assimilation and integration of the indigenous population of the North and indigenous peoples in the culture of the titular nation, carried out in 1930—1950's, gave the results. The region had decreased indigenous population, native language was lost, ancient cultural and ethnic traditions, declining share of traditional economic activities. By 1959, in the study region, the total number of indigenous people was only 62,860 people or 1.07% of the total population. Komi and Yakuts were represented by more than 0.5 million people 3. However, the sustainability of the cultural code and the ability to self-preservation, elaborated by centuries of living in the harsh climatic conditions had contributed to the growth of the number of practically all groups of autochthonous the population of the North, especially after democratization, reducing total control, the development of culture of the peoples of the USSR and improvement of the health care system in the 1960s.

During the period 1959—1989 the number of the Nenets in the NAO had increased by 29.5% to 49.6% YaNAO, Chukchi in Chukotka by 19.4%, in the Evenki of Yakutia by 45.7%, Evens 2.5 times 4. The share of Komi in the Komi Republic reached 23%, Yakuts, Evens and Evenki in the Yakut ASSR accounted for 35.9% of the territory. The indigenous peoples of the Nenets and Chukotka Autonomous District represented 11.9% and 7.6% of the population respectively. An exception can be called Yamal-Nenets Autonomous District, where the representation of indigenous peoples in the population did not exceed 5% (see Table 2).

The next largest group of the population were Ukrainians. Their share was up by 3.3% in the Krasnoyarsk region to 17.5% in the Chukchi and the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous District. In general, the subjects of the Russian Arctic their total number reached 574 904 people, representing 6.15% of the population (Table 2).

Belarusians and Tatars were the next largest ethnic groups: 145.7 thousand people and 143.6 thousand people — 1.5—1.6% of the population, respectively. In almost all regions of the Arctic, their share in the population was 0.9—5.4%. The total number of immigrants from Belarus was particularly high in the Murmansk and Arkhangelsk regions, the Krasnoyarsk region and the Komi Republic, the Tatars in the Komi Republic, Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous District, and the Krasnoyarsk Territory. 1—1.5% of the population of the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous District, Komi Republic, Krasnoyarsk was presented by Bashkirs, Moldovans and Germans (Table 2).

The period of fundamental transformation of the end of the 20th — the 21st centuries, collapse of the USSR and the the post-Soviet times were, on the one hand, marked by positive development of the ethnic and cultural relations, and there was a rapid growth of ethnic identity, mass

Ibid

ethno-national movements and associations whose aim was to protect the rights, interests , culture, language and traditions of various indigenous groups; on the other hand, against the background of past grievances and national economic difficulties exacerbated by the ethno-national conflicts, the centrifugal tendencies were manifested.

Ethnic and demographic changes in the Russian Arctic

Ethno-demographic composition of the Arctic regions defines a number of important factors on international, national and regional levels. Trends of change in the Russian Arctic are closely linked to the general situation today, with its origins on the international and domestic levels rooted deeply in the 20th century.

Firstly , in connection with the fall of the “Iron Curtain”, international contacts and the greater transparency of borders, made Russia feel the impact of international migration. Immigration to and emigration significantly altered ethno-cultural landscape of Northern areas.

Second , against the backdrop of the collapse of the USSR, the aggravation of interethnic relations in the former Soviet Union, a mass exodus to their historic homeland of representatives of many ethnic groups began: Russians returned back from the former Soviet republics; Ukrainians, Belarusians, Germans, Jews, Poles, people from the Baltic states moved to their national states.

Thirdly , against the background of the socio-economic crisis, the sharp polarization of society in terms of income, the widespread decline in living standards, greatly increased mortality, declined birth rates and life expectancy, Russia and its regions entered a long downward demographic dynamics.

At the regional level, in the Arctic regions, except of those who were oriented to the export of oil and gas and diamonds, mining and metallurgical industries (Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous District, Krasnoyarsk Krai, Yakutia), areas experienced reduce of industries. At the same time low investment attractiveness complicated the establishement of innovative enterprises. In connection with the rejection of protectionist policies and against the background of intense import of cheaper products due to the political and economic turns, development of agriculture and the region's traditional industries — fishing had decreased. Sharply reduced was the scope of activities and the importance of the Northern Sea Route. The importance of benefits and wage supplements for people living in the North reduced. Arctic subjects of Northern European Russia virtually turned into depressed regions. Accordingly, a mass migration outflow began combined with a sharply reduced scale of the population growth.

The factors, we’ve discussed above, significantly alter the ethnic structure of the region. In the Arctic regions of Russia for the period 1989—2010 years the population reduced by 21.3% (more than 2 million people) compared to the number of 2.8% in the whole country. These rates were sig- nificantly higher than the average; the regional decrease values: in the Murmansk region - 30.6%, the Komi Republic — 28.5%, Chukotka — 3 times. The exceptions were the Yakutia, where the total number of population reduced by 11.4% and the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous District, where there was population growth was 7.6%. In the structure of the Russian population the proportion of Arctic residents decreased from 2.3% to 1.7% (Table 1).

According to the census of 2010, 33.1% of the population lived in the Arctic areas of Russia. Reduction of the total population here was higher and amounted to 26.9%. The sharp reduction in the number of inhabitants observed in the Arctic regions of Yakutia — almost 3 times, on the territory of the municipality district “Vorkuta” (Komi Republic) — by 55.7%, the urban district of Norilsk and Taimyr Dolgan-Nenets Municipal District (Krasnoyarsk region) — by 34.1% and 37.5%, respectively, in the district of Mezen (Arkhangelsk region) —by 42% (Table 1).

As a result of the downward demographic dynamics and population outflow from regions of the Far North the total number of Russians decreased by 1.7 million people or 23.2%. Their share of the population of the Arctic decreased from 77.5% to 75.8%, which was lower than the average allcountry values by 5.1%. In Chukotka and the Sakha Republic (Yakutia), Russians were less than 50% of the population — 49.6% and 36.9%, respectively. In the Nenets and Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Area, the Komi Republic, the share of Russians was over 60% of the population. At the same time in the Arkhangelsk Region and the Krasnoyarsk region of the total number of Russians significantly exceeded the all-Russian figures and amounted to 93.6% and 88%, respectively. The number of Russians in the Murmansk region is close to the average value and is 80.8% 5.

Among the emerging trends — a significant increase in the proportion of indigenous peoples in national-territorial formations. In the Nenets and Yamal-Nenets autonomous region the proportion of Nenets increased by 5.9% and 1.3%, respectively and was 17.8% and 5.7% of the population of these territories. The proportion Chukchi increased from 7.6% to 25.3% in their native lands. In Yakutia, the proportion of Yakuts, Evens and Evenki increased by 16.6% to 52.5%. It should be noted that the dynamics of the growth of indigenous peoples of the Arctic is provided by both demographic and non-demographic factors. Among them: a) a higher birth rate and reduced mortality; b) the acceleration of ethnic identity; c) socio-economic considerations: the background of the state regulations on guarantees of the rights of indigenous peoples made it economically advantageous to have membership in these ethnic groups.

At the end of the 20th — beginning of the 21st century a significant number of people with foreign origin left the Arctic areas of Russa: the Ukrainians, Belarusians, Kazakhs, Georgians, Moldavians, Poles, Germans, Greeks and Bulgarians. The total number of immigrants from Ukraine decreased by 3.6 times and amounted to 160 396 people., whereas in the whole of Russia it reduced by only 2 times 6. The number of Belarusians decreased by more than 3 times in the region. The proportion of Ukrainians among the population of the study area was reduced from 6.15% to 2.2%, Belarusians from 1.5% to 0.6%. In quantitative terms, their numbers exceeded the average regional values only in a number of the Arctic areas: the Murmansk region, the Komi Republic, Yamal-Nenets and Chukotka. On average, two or more times less was the total number of Kazakhs, Georgians, Moldavians, Poles, Germans, Greeks, Bulgarians. The presence of the Tatars and people from the autonomous republics had become less noticeable in the Arctic regions. In particular, the number of Tatars reduced from 143.6 thousand to 90.9 thousand people or 36.8%.

Some more emerging trends: an increase in the number of immigrants from a number of former Central Asian and Transcaucasian republics (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan) and the Asia-Pacific region (immigrants from China, India). The number of representatives of these ethnic groups has increased on average from 1.5 to 4 times in the Arctic areas. A special attraction for them are the dynamically developing subjects of the Russian Federation: Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous District, the Krasnoyarsk Territory, the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) and other areas experienced an economic growth. However, the total number of these ethnic groups in the Russian Arctic exceeded 100 thousand, their share in the population structure gives the amplitude from 0.2% to 0.5%, with the exception of the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous District, where the natives of Azerbaijan make up 1.8% population of the territory. The total number of immigrants from China hardly exceeded 3.4 thousand people. Mostly they are concentrated in the Krasnoyarsk and Yakutia.

In turn, due to the expansion of nuclear submarine shipbuilding and development of international cooperation programs for the training of medical personnel, in the Arkhangelsk region we have people from India. The Indian diaspora in 2010 was 390 people. In 2012 — 2207 citizens of India, in 2013 3181, in 2014 856. The most frequently claimed purposes of visiting the Arkhangelsk Region — “work”, “private”, “business”. The majority of foreigners were engaged in labor activity in the areas of the economy where there were no local workers ( construction, trade, manufacturing).

Conclusion

Summarizing, it should be noted that modern ethno-cultural space of the Russian Arctic is still diverse and includes representatives of more than 100 ethnic groups the carriers of cultures of the world and dozens of large and small ethnic groups of the North with their language, religious beliefs and traditional culture.

The dynamics of the ethnic structure of the population is differentiated and is directly related to the socio-economic attractiveness of the subject of the Russian Arctic. Fast developing regions have a higher capacity to improve the quality of life (Nenets, Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous District, the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), the Krasnoyarsk Territory), have the best demographics, are more attractive to migrants and their ethnic pluralism is expressed more clearly. In turn, the European North of Russia tends to mono-ethnicity and has mostly old settled ethnic groups.

During the study period 1989 – 2010, the migration flows in the Arctic regions of Russia changed and we could observe a significantly reduced number of representatives of European cultures, immigrants from the European part of the former Soviet Union. At the same time there is a tendency to increase the representation of Asian cultures and people from Central Asian and Caucasus regions.

However, a large part of the Arctic areas (especially those located in the European part of Russia), with the current state of human resources, are unable to provide comprehensive development of the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation, which does not fully protect the national interests of the country along the northern borders.

There is a tendency to increase the number of indigenous peoples of the Arctic, with varying degrees of intensity. The 11 of the 16 ethnic groups have been living in their homelands (Dolgan, Kets, Nenets, Selkup, Khanty, Chukchi, Evenki, Evens, Enets, Eskimos, Yukagirs) in 1989 - 2010. Reduced was the number of Nganasans, Sami, Chuvasha and Chulyms. Only few people represented Kerek nation. However, as it was rightly pointed by D.D. Bogoyavlensky, the growth of indigenous peoples of the North, Siberia and the Far East had been more than modest. Their total number for the period 1989—2010 increased by 23.2%, but against the nationwide trend of population decline, this number looks impressive [7].

Ethnic consolidation of larger groups of the indigenous population, on the one hand, is a positive trend for the preservation and development of ethnic cultural traditions, on the other hand, a further decline of the socio-economic situation has a potential threat of manifestations of separatist sentiments among the people living in areas rich with natural resources and therefore enjoying a great potential to improve the quality of life.

Ethno-social inequality and differentiation, a different level of security of rights and guarantees creates the desire to seek the inclusion in the list of indigenous peoples among a number of Russian sub-ethnoses. So, in the European North of Russia in the beginning of the 21st century, for the first time, Pomor people spoke out.

A potential threat may be seen in the growth of contradictions between new and old residents, particularly indigenous peoples, of the following kind: the city (place of concentration of immigrants) VS the village (the territory of indigenous peoples); between the need for industrial development in the Arctic and the need to preserve the traditional way of life of indigenous peoples, the effectiveness of which is directly linked to environmental conditions, the natural habitat and ensuring the rights of indigenous people at the legislative level.

In general, ethno-demographic situation in the Arctic requires the development of an effective model of state and regional management of ethno-national processes aimed at the prevention of social and ethnic conflicts to harmonize the interests of all ethnic groups. Such a model could be an integral part of the general pattern of ethnic policy of Russia in the first third of the 21st century.

Список литературы Ethnic and demographic processes in the Russian Arctic

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  • Volzhanina E.A. Etnodemograficheskie processy v srede nencev Yamala v XX — nachale XXI veka. Novosibirsk: Nauka, 2010. 312 p.
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