Ethnic Processes and Ethnic Identity of Indigenous Population of Russian Arctic in 1950-80-ies (on Materials of Field Research in Yakutia)

Abstract

The analysis of materials obtained in the Arctic regions of Yakutia during the expeditionary studies related to various aspects of ethnic processes among the indigenous ethnic groups in their correlation with the problems of ethnic identity is presented. It appears that additional relevance for the article is the selected period. 1950-80-ies were the time of vigorous and intentional efforts for transport and industrial development of the Arctic territories of the Soviet Union, which naturally had a significant impact on the traditional foundations of life of indigenous peoples. The work contains an analysis of the initiatives organized by the leading actors of the study of indigenous peoples of the North of reporting period: scientific centres of Moscow, Leningrad, Yakutsk. Among these initiatives there were the studies conducted by talented domestic North researchers - I. S. Gurvich, Z. V. Gogolev, V. A. Tugolukov, G. N. Gracheva, N. B. Vakhtin and others. As a result of investigations, in particular, conclusions were drawn about the most active assimilation processes in Northern Yakutia, which are much intensified in the years of Soviet modernization, and also about certain stability of ethnic identity in representatives of the studied ethnic indigenous communities.

Keywords

• arctic
• yakutia
• indigenous peoples
• scientific research
• expeditions
• ethnic processes
• ethnic identity