Ethnic and cultural development of southern Altaians in contemporary city

This article analyzes the influence of urbanzation processes on the reproduction of ethnic and cultural values among the Southern Altaians (the Altai-Kizhi and Telengits) living in the city of Gorno-Altaisk. The article is based on the evidence of ethnic and sociological research by the author, which was a part of the project on the problems of urbanization of indigenous peoples of Altai (2016-2017). The analysis has shown that several socio-economic and cultural factors foster attraction to urban life on the part of the Southern Altaians. They are socially adapted to urban lifestyle while continuing to preserve their ethnic identity based on their native traditions, language, and culture. City-dwelling Southern Altaians manifest strong interest in their historical past and culture. Most of them have a good knowledge of their traditions and desire to follow them, possess strong clan identities, and in most cases they follow the traditions of clan exogamy. In the urban environment, the Southern Altaians tend to follow their traditional religious beliefs. It is shown that most of them can speak their native languages which remain highly functional in the interaction between family members, while the Russian language prevails in official settings. It is concluded that the Southern Altaians still remain at the “periphery” of urbanization. Because of this, and since most of them are first-generation urban dwellers, the negative effects of urbanization are less evident in most cases. However, with each passing year, changes will occur under the impact of urbanization, creating risks for the Southern Altaians as a unique cultural community. This is why their community requires special academic attention and research.