Polish political scientist on the ethnic factor of the post-Soviet nation-building in multinational Russian republics

The processes that led to the collapse of the USSR continue to affect the development of the post-Soviet space. Interest in this is maintained not only in Russian but also in foreign academic science. Purpose: to analyze a practically unknown in our country monograph by Polish researcher W. Zajonczkowski on the history of national policy and nation-building in the USSR on the example of Bashkortostan, Tatarstan and Buryatia, to reveal the author's exclusive viewpoint on the role and influence of the ethnic factor in these processes. Methods: the authors apply system analysis of the problem, diachronic study of ethno-political processes throughout several historical epochs, study of political and public personalities, comprehensive use of non-contradictory provisions of the world's leading concepts of ethnicity. Results: the achievements and shortcomings of the author's research are identified, the practical relevance of his conclusions is shown, the degree of their importance for national science is determined.