Functions of the autonomy institution in a multinational state (theoretical issues)

The purpose of the research is to study the theoretical approaches to interpretation of functions of the territorial autonomy institution in a multinational state. The author reviews the literature and the functional features of the territorial autonomy institution in the multinational state. As a conclusion, the article corroborates a hypothesis that the autonomy is a political institution, which secures the preservation of ethno-political balance in the multinational states and takes into account their ethno-regional specificities.