Population Formation and Development Dynamics of the Russian Far North in the 1920s

Abstract

Based on the analysis of All-Union Population Census of 1926 and a wide range of general and regional scientific research, the author studies the processes of demographic and economic development of territories located in the Russian North and conventionally designated by the author as regions of European, Ural, Siberian and Far Eastern North. The paper identifies key trends and features of Northern regions' development in the 1920s, caused by the first Soviet reforms of the administrative-territorial structure of the country, economic development and national state policy, which had an impact on the demographic processes in the regions including population size, its composition and settlement structure. It is found that the economic development was the most active in the bordering areas, where intensive development of industry and transportation implied the need to strengthen national defense and expand trade and economic ties. This mainly concerned the regions of the European and Far Eastern North. The regions that were rich in natural resources, especially gold deposits, such as Yakutia, also developed more actively. Other regions of Ural and Siberian North developed in a more traditional way, based on growth of wood harvesting and fishing industry. Improving of living conditions of the indigenous peoples of the North, material support for their farms, medical care and legal assistance, introduction of education among the population in the 1920s had a positive impact on the economic and demographic development of the indigenous population.

Keywords

• russian north
• european north
• ural north
• north of siberia
• north of the far east
• administrative-territorial structure
• economic development
• population size
• structure of settlements
• indigenous popu-lation