Ethnic aspects of the Russian Federation subjects' consolidation: case study of the East Siberian and North Caucasian regions

The article is concerned with the process of consolidation of the Russian Federation subjects, case study of the experience and consolidation projects of the regions with polyethnic population, in particular Siberian and North Caucasian federal districts. Comparative analysis of these regions, differing from each other both in ethnic and confessional factors can be, in the authors' opinion, the basis for contemplation of reasonability and limits of the consolidation process in the Russian Federation.