Legislative process in the field of ethnological expert examination in Russia

Abstract

The article analyses the stages and peculiarities of development of ethnological expert examination as an institution in the Russian Federation. It is beyond argument that different actors to various extent involved in the implementation of the project in question, adhere to divergent approaches, namely: from defining the key regulatory authority (federal center or regions), correlation between ethnological and ecological expert examinations, social and technocratic approaches to the territory development and the role of indigenous small-numbered peoples. Pursuant to the strategic planning documents, ethnological expert examination represents a tool for implementation of the Russian state policy regarding different nationalities. However, state-recognized ethnological expert examination with all legal consequences it entails is only pursued in the Sakha Republic (Yakutia) based upon a regional law. The federal legislator only provides a definition of ethnological expert examination (scientific research into the influence of changes in the original living environment of indigenous small-numbered peoples and sociocultural situation on the development of an ethnic group) without enacting any statutory instrument to regulate the procedure. The analysis has shown that Russian legislation requires statutorization of the ethnological expert examination procedure and its binding character along with elaboration of conceptual framework, subject matter and object of this research.