Soviet modernization as a determinant of settlement, ethnic and demographic processes in Kabardino-Balkaria from 1920 to 1940

In the 1920s-1930s, the settlement structure of the North Caucasus has been radically changed. It involved the growth of population and change in the ethnic makeup caused by the Soviet modernization policy. The creation of the regional ethnic autonomy was a complicated and controversial process. It was rather difficult to merge the Kabardian plains with the Balkar mountains. They have been merged on a parity basis from the perspective of the Kabardians, the Balkars and the Russians as well. The research analyzes the 1920s resettlement policy in the region under review and examines its impact on the settlement structure. The specific nature of the industrialization process is described; the changes in the social and economic sector are identified. The forms and methods of training employees are revealed. The research considers the impact of industrialization and urbanization on the social structure and traditional social relations of the peoples of Kabardino-Balkaria. Besides, it demonstrates the crucial role of the Russian people in the modernization process in the Republic in particular and the North Caucasus in general.