Kalmyk National District and the problem of choosing its administrative center

Abstract

This article is devoted to the formation of the Kalmyk National District on the Don and the problem of determining its administrative center at the turn of the 1920–1930s. The author, noting the positive phenomena that occurred in the life of the Don Kalmyks as part of the national district (education, preservation of national identity), draws attention to the artificial nature of the creation of this national district in the absence of compact residence of the Don Kalmyks. When organizing it, the interests of the Russian population included in the district, as well as many Kalmyks, who preferred to move to the Kalmyk Autonomous Republic even before the liquidation of the national district in 1944, were not taken into account. Even the administrative center of the Kalmyk district has not acquired a national appearance.

Keywords

• south of russia
• don region
• salsky district
• lower volga region
• kalmykia
• cossacks
• national district
• nationalminorities
• village
• farm