regional migration interethnic

By the beginning of the 20th century, the territory of the Russian Empire had reached 22.4 million km2. Accordingly, with the increase in the territory, the population also grew and during this period of time amounted to 128.2 million people. So, according to the 1897 census, there were 196 peoples in the ethnic composition, and the share of Russians was 44.3%.

In 1926, according to the census of the USSR, about 160 ethnic groups were distinguished, including 30 hours with a population of less than 1 thousand people. A characteristic feature of the peoples of the USSR was a strong difference in their numbers. Twenty-two of them, numbering more than 1 million people each, made up 96% of the population of the entire country.

As for the population of modern Russia, it is also very rich and diverse. Today, more than 130 nations and nationalities live on the territory of the Russian Federation. Each nation is distinguished by its way of life, customs, historical traditions, culture, and labor skills.

According to the 1989 census, the majority of the population were Russians (more than 80%), then from the numerous nationalities inhabiting Russia, the following should be noted: Tatars (over 5 million people), Ukrainians (over 4 million people), Chuvashs, Bashkirs, Belarusians, Mordovians and others.

As for the ethnic composition of the Chita region, the 1989 census recorded the following data (as a percentage of the total population of the region): Russians - 88.4%, Buryats - 4.8%, Ukrainians - 2.8%, Tatars - 0.9%, Belarusians - 0.7%, Chuvashs - 0.2%, Bashkirs - 0.2%, Mordvins - 0.1%, Evenks - about 0.1%, other nationalities - 1.9%.

The current statistics showed an increase in the share of Russians up to 90.9%, Buryats up to 5.4%, Evenks up to 0.2% and a decrease in the share of representatives of other nationalities.

The overwhelming majority of the representatives of the peoples of the north, primarily the Evenks, live in the Kalarsky, Tungiro-Olyokminsky and Tungokochensky regions.

The resettlement of peoples on the territory of the Russian Federation

All the peoples inhabiting our country can be divided into three groups. The first is ethnic groups, most of which live in Russia, and outside of it they make up only small groups (Russians, Chuvashs, Bashkirs, Tatars, Yakuts, Buryats, Kalmyks and others). They, as a rule, form national-state units within the Russian Federation.

The second group is those peoples of the neighboring countries (that is, the republics of the former USSR), as well as some other countries that are represented on the territory of Russia by significant groups, in some cases by compact settlement (Ukrainians, Belarusians, Kazakhs, Armenians, Poles, Greeks and others ).

And, finally, the third group is formed by small divisions of ethnic groups, in most cases living outside of Russia (Romanians, Hungarians, Abkhazians, Chinese, Vietnamese, Albanians, Croats and others).

Thus, about 100 peoples (the first group) live mainly on the territory of the Russian Federation, the rest - representatives of the second and third groups - mainly in the countries of the near abroad or other countries of the world, but are still an essential element of the population of Russia.

Russia is a multinational republic, in terms of its state structure it is a federation built on the national-territorial principle.

The federal structure of the Russian Federation is based on its state integrity, the unity of the system of power, the delimitation of jurisdiction and powers between state authorities of the subjects of the Russian Federation, the equality and self-determination of peoples in the Russian Federation (Constitution of the Russian Federation, 1993).

As of January 1, 2007, the Russian Federation includes 86 subjects, including 21 republics, 7 territories, 48 ​​regions, 2 federal cities (Moscow and St. Petersburg), 1 autonomous region, 7 autonomous districts.

The total area of ​​29 national formations (republics, autonomous regions, autonomous regions) is 53% of the country's territory. At the same time, only about 26 million people live here (among them, almost 12 million are Russians).

All national formations are distinguished by a complex composition of the population. Moreover, the share of the main or "titular" nation in some cases is relatively small. So, out of the 21 republics of the Russian Federation, only six major peoples make up the majority (Ingushetia, Chuvashia, Tuva, Kabardino-Balkaria, North Ossetia, and the Chechen Republic). In multi-ethnic Dagestan, ten local peoples (Avars, Dargins, Kumyks, Lezgins, Laks, Tabasarans, Nogais, Rutuls, Aguls, Tsakhurs) form 80% of the total population. In nine republics, the peoples of the "titular" nation account for less than one third of the population (including Karelia and Kalmykia).

The picture of the settlement of peoples in the autonomous regions is significantly different. They are inhabited very rarely and for many decades have attracted migrants from all the republics of the former USSR (Russians, Ukrainians, Tatars, Belarusians, Chechens and others), who came to work - to develop the richest mineral deposits, build roads, industrial facilities and cities. As a result, the "titular" peoples in most autonomous regions and in the only autonomous region make up only a small percentage of their total population. For example, in the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug - 1.5%, in the Yamalo-Nenets - 6%, Chukotka - about 9%. The detailed national structure of the population of the autonomies of Russia can be traced according to Table 1.1 in the appendix.

Language families and groups

A distinctive feature of the people - its language - the most important means of communication between people. According to the similarity of languages, peoples are grouped into language groups, and close and related groups into language families. On a linguistic basis, all the peoples of Russia can be combined into 4 language families:

1. Indo-European family (80% of all inhabitants of the country). This family includes: - the Slavic group, the most numerous in Russia, including Russians, Ukrainians, Belarusians, Poles and others.

Iranian group, including Tajiks, Ossetians, Kurds.

Romanesque group, which includes Moldovans, gypsies, Romanians.

German group. It includes Germans, Jews.

2. Altai family (6.8% of all residents of the country). It consists of the following groups: - Turkic group, which includes Tatars, Chuvashs, Bashkirs, Kazakhs, Yakuts, Tuvans, Karachais, Khakases, Balkars, Altaians, Shors, Dolgans.

Mongolian group consisting of Buryats, Kalmyks.

Tungus-Manchu group. This group includes Evens, Evenks, Nanais, Udeges and others.

Paleo-Asiatic group, consisting of the Chukchi, Koryaks.

3. Ural family (2% of all residents of the country). Subdivided into groups: - Finno-Ugric group, which includes Mordovians, Estonians, Udmurts, Mari, Komi, Komi-Permyaks, Karelians, Finns, Mansi, Hungarians, Saami.

Samoyedic group, including Nenets, Selkups, Nganasans.

Yukagir group (Yukaghirs).

4. North Caucasian family (2% of all residents of the country). Also includes several groups: - Nakh-Dagestan group. It includes Chechens, Avars, Dargins, Lezgins, Ingush.

Kartvelian group · Georgians.

Adyghe-Abkhazian group, including Adyghes, Abkhazians, Circassians, Kabardians.

In addition to the families mentioned above, representatives of the Chukchi-Kamchatka family (Chukchi, Koryak, Itelmen) live in Russia; the Eskimo-Aleut family (Eskimos, Aleuts) and the peoples of other language families and peoples (Chinese, Arabs, Vietnamese and others).

The languages ​​of all the peoples of Russia are full, but the language of interethnic communication is Russian.

Russia has always been multinational, this feature is closely connected with the history of the country, during which it influenced the consciousness and lifestyle of the people inhabiting the country. The multinational composition of the state is also indicated in the constitution, where it is called the bearer of sovereignty and the source of power.

Due to the heterogeneous composition of the country's population since ancient times, many people who identify themselves as actually have different roots and can be considered equally representatives of other nationalities. But in the USSR, a mandatory fixation of ethnicity was adopted, which served as the basis for determining the number of nationalities and their percentage. Today, it is not necessary to indicate your own, and there is no exact figure in the census data - some people did not mark their origin.

In addition, - a rather vague concept, ethnographers divide some nationalities into several parts, others are divided into separate groups. Some disappear or assimilate.

Number of nations in Russia

Nevertheless, census data allow us to calculate an almost exact number of nations whose representatives live on the territory of Russia. There are more than 190 of them, although only about 80 nationalities make up a more or less significant part of the population: the rest get thousandths of a percent.

In the first place are Russians or those people who classify themselves as Russians: these include the Karyms, Ob and Lena old-timers, Pomors, Russo-Ustyintsy, Mezens - there are a lot of self-names, but they all make up a nation. The number of Russians in the country is more than 115 million people.

In second place are the Tatars and all their varieties: Siberian, Kazan, Astrakhan and others. They number five and a half million, which is almost 4% of the country's population. This is followed by Ukrainians, Bashkirs, Chechens, Chuvashs, Armenians, Belarusians, Mordovians, Kazakhs, Udmurts and many other nationalities: Caucasian, Slavic, Siberian. Part of the population - about 0.13% - are Roma. Germans, Greeks, Poles, Lithuanians, Chinese, Koreans, Arabs live on the territory of Russia.

Thousands of percent are given to such nationalities as Persians, Hungarians, Romanians, Czechs, Saami, Teleuts, Spaniards, French. There are also representatives of very few nationalities in the country: Laz, Vod, Svans, Ingiloys, Yugis, Arnauts.

Great and varied. In its open spaces, nature is beautiful in its versatility, and other wonders created by man. In addition, the territory of the largest country in the world sheltered dozens of different peoples. This is the greatest wealth of an amazing hospitable state.

We know that many nationalities live in Russia - Russians, Udmurts, Ukrainians. And what people still live in Russia? Indeed, in the far corners of the country, small and little-known, but interesting peoples with their own unique culture have been living for centuries.

The national composition of the population of Russia

We will stipulate right away that Russians make up approximately 80% of the total population. A full one would be very large. According to some reports, more than 200 different nationalities are registered. This information is current as of 2010.

We will begin our acquaintance with the rest of the national composition of Russia with the most common. Large nationalities are those that are present on the territory of the state in the amount of more than 1 million.

Tatars

The ratio of the Tatar nationality among all others in the country is 3.8%. has its own language and regions of the greatest distribution.

In addition, it includes several ethnic groups: Crimean Tatars, Volga-Urals, Siberians and Astrakhan. Most of them live in the Volga region.

Ukrainians

Let's continue our short excursion on the topic of what peoples live in Russia, and move on to the Ukrainians. Their number in Russia is 2% of the total population. According to the materials of some historical references, the name of the nationality comes from the word "outskirts", which served as the basis for the name of the country - Ukraine.

Ukrainians living in Russia continue to honor their traditions, celebrating holidays according to their customs, wearing folk clothes. A feature of Ukrainian clothing is embroidery in a variety of colors. The main symbolic colors in the ornaments are red and black.

Bashkirs

The ratio of the Bashkirs to the entire population of the country is 1.2%. The territories where most of these people live are Altai, Tyumen, and other regions of Russia (Orenburg, Sverdlovsk, Kurgan and others).

To this day, ethnologists have not agreed on where the name of the nationality came from and what it means. The most common interpretations are “the main wolf”, “a separate people”, “the brother-in-law of the Ugric peoples”. In total, there are about 40 different assumptions.

The culture of the Bashkirs is significant for their songs, fairy tales, ditties.

Chuvash

Next, let's talk about the Chuvash, answering the question of what peoples live in Russia. The Chuvash people make up 1.1% of the population of Russia. Most of the Chuvash live in Tatarstan, Samara and many other regions of the country, the Krasnoyarsk Territory. And today their main occupation is handicraft, animal husbandry and agriculture.

The Chuvash culture is surprisingly beautiful and interesting. They have their own ancient developed mythology. National clothes are extremely diverse, there are many dozens of different cuts and color options.

Chechens

Chechens in Russia are about 0.9% of the total population. This is one of the most severe nationalities in the country. At the same time, they are distinguished by wit, courage and endurance are inherent in them.

A feature of Chechen songs is a deep, incommensurable longing for their home. There are many motifs of exile in their poetry and songs. Such poetry is not to be found in any other folklore.

One can notice the similarity of the Chechen people with the Circassian and Lezgin. There is a simple explanation for this: all three nationalities belong to a single Caucasian.

And we continue to reveal the most interesting question of what kind of peoples live in Russia.

Armenians

In the population of Russia, Armenians make up 0.8%. Their culture is very ancient. Its roots can be traced back to Greek culture. The special flavor of this nation is created by their indefatigable cheerfulness and hospitality.

Armenian music appeared before our era. And today we know many world singers with Armenian roots. Among them are French singer David Tukhmanov, Jivad Gasparyan and many others.

Armenian clothing is distinguished by luxury and pretentiousness. And children's costumes are simply irresistible, which is not seen in other nations.

We now know what peoples inhabit Russia, but this is far from all. In the far corners of the vast country there are still peoples who are not so many in number, but their culture is so diverse and interesting that we simply cannot help but remember them.

small nations

Russians know quite a lot about peoples whose number exceeds 1 million. But there are also small peoples of Russia, which you may not even hear about in your entire life.

So, in the Volga-Vyatka region, for many centuries, such nationalities as the Mari, Mordovians have lived. The server region is native to Karelians, Komi, Saami, Nenets. Komi-Permyaks and Udmurts live in the Urals. Kazakhs and Kalmyks have long settled in the Volga region.

Western Siberia is the homeland for the Selkups, Altaians, Mansi, Khanty, Shors, Eastern Siberia is for Tuvans, Buryats, Khakasses, Dolgans, Evenks.

In the Far East live such nationalities as the Yakuts, Koryaks, Evens, Udeges, Nanais, Orochs and many other peoples, whose numbers are very small.

The peculiarity of small peoples is that they have preserved and to this day revere their ancient pagan beliefs. They are characterized by following animism (animation of natural objects and animals) and shamanism (belief in shamans - people who speak with spirits).

How many peoples live in Russia in total?

In 2002, a pan-European data collection also included information on the ethnic composition of the countries' populations. Then interesting information was received about what peoples live in Russia, and about their numbers.

Census figures in Russia showed that representatives of 160 different nationalities live in the country. This figure is simply huge in comparison with European countries. On average, people belonging to 9.5 nationalities live in them. On a global scale, Russia's performance is also high.

Interestingly, in 1989, when a similar census was conducted in Russia, a list of 129 nationalities was compiled. The reason for such a difference in indicators, according to experts, is the possibility of self-identification as belonging to one or another nationality. Such an opportunity appeared in 1926. Previously, various peoples of Russia considered themselves Russians, based on the geopolitical factor.

Dynamics in the ratio of nationalities

According to demographic research experts, the number of Ukrainians in Russia has halved in recent years. Belarusians have also become much smaller, as well as Mordovians.

The number of Armenians, Chechens, Azerbaijanis, and Tajiks increased. Some of them even entered the number of those of which there are more than a million on the territory of Russia.

The dynamics in the ratio of nationalities is believed to be influenced by several factors. One of them is the decline in the birth rate, which has affected the entire country. The other is emigration.

Jews left Russia. Russian Germans also emigrated from the country.

Positive dynamics is observed among small indigenous peoples. On the contrary, they have increased in recent decades. Thus, we see that the question of what peoples inhabit Russia is always relevant for study due to its dynamics.

Do only Russians live somewhere?

We learned that many different nationalities live in Russia, in addition to Russians. Many who have discovered it may wonder if there is an area where only Russians live.

The answer is unequivocal: there is no region with a completely homogeneous composition of the Russian population. Approximate to this only the Central region, the Central Black Earth, North-West. All other territories of the country are full of different nationalities.

conclusions

In the article, we examined which peoples live on the territory of Russia, learned what they are called and where they are most common. We have once again seen how rich the country is not only in natural resources, but also in human resources, and this is many times more important.

In addition, we learned that the national composition of the population of Russia is not something static. It changes over the years under the influence of various factors (migration, the possibility of self-determination, etc.).

We hope that the article was interesting for you: it helped you make a mental journey through the expanses of Russia and introduced you to its so different, but so hospitable and interesting inhabitants. Now we can, without hesitation, tell anyone who wants to, if he becomes interested, what kind of peoples live in Russia.

In the XVIII - first half of the XIX centuries. the multinational character of the Russian state has significantly increased. Russia included both large peoples of Eastern Europe, Transcaucasia, Kazakhstan, as well as small ethnic groups living in these regions, speaking languages ​​of various families: Uralic, Indo-European, Altai, North Caucasian. Among the largest peoples who became subjects of the Russian Empire, one can distinguish Finns and Estonians, Baltic (Baltic) Germans, Latvians and Lithuanians, Poles, East Slavic peoples (Ukrainians and Belarusians), Moldovans, Crimean Tatars, Georgians, Armenians, Azerbaijanis, peoples of Dagestan ( Avars, Kumyks, Lezgins, Laks, etc.), other peoples of the North Caucasus (Chechens, Ingush, Ossetians, Kabardians, Adygs, Abkhazians, etc.), as well as Kazakhs.

A significant part of these peoples now make up independent nation-states, however, it should be noted that during the years of the existence of the Russian Empire, and then the Soviet Union, representatives of these ethnic groups formed large diasporas within the territorial boundaries of Russia itself. So, suffice it to say that at present more than 5% of the population of the Russian Federation come from other republics of the former USSR, that is, from the national outskirts of the former Russian Empire.

The characterization of the national composition of the population of Russia will be incomplete, if not to say about the German colonists. The German commercial and artisan population has existed in Russia for a long time. German military specialists participated in military campaigns of the 16th century. Since 1570, there was a trade and crafts German community in Moscow, and in 1576 a Lutheran church was opened here. In 1682, with a total population of Moscow of approximately 200 thousand people. about 18 thousand foreigners, mostly Germans, lived in it.

On July 22, 1763, Empress Catherine II signed a manifesto "On permission for all foreigners entering Russia to settle in which provinces they wish, and on the rights granted to them." The manifesto promised exemption from military service for eternity, comfortable arable land and grazing, tax exemption for a period of 5 to 30 years, freedom of religion, etc.

The benefits promised to the colonists, as well as the ruin of Germany during the Seven Years' War, contributed to the success of the manifesto. From 1764 to 1773 more than 28 thousand people moved to the Volga region. They founded 106 colonies. The Saratov office of guardianship of foreign settlers, established in 1765, began to manage the affairs of the colonists. Thus, at the initiative of the tsarist administration, a kind of autonomy was created, a special system for managing the colonies, arranging and regulating their internal life. The colonies had their own public schools, attendance of which was mandatory for all children.

From the end of the 1780s. the main flow of settlers was directed to the southern regions of Russia: the vast Black Sea and Azov steppes were settled. Among the new colonists were not only Germans, but also Swiss, French, Poles, who later merged with the Germans, as well as Serbs, Bulgarians, Greeks. Today, among Russian Germans, surnames of both French (Konradi, Lode, Richet, Shamne, Chevalier) and Polish (Zavadsky, Kozlovsky, Rogalsky, Savitsky) origin are common.

Let us consider in more detail the migration exchange of the population of Russia with foreign countries, starting from the end of the 18th century. In the 1760-1780s. up to 200 thousand Crimean Tatars emigrated to Turkey. In 1770, about 200 thousand Kalmyks left for Dzungaria. In the XVIII century. about 100,000 foreigners entered Russia (60,000 Moldavians, Serbs, Hungarians, etc., and 40,000 German colonists; about 400,000 Kalmyks and Crimean Tatars left).

At the beginning of the XIX century. the influx of foreigners into Russia was small (until the 1820s, the influx of German colonists, Greeks, Bulgarians, and others continued, mainly to the Northern Black Sea region). Emigration until the 1830s. there was almost none. Only a small number of Nogais, wandering in the Budzhak steppes of Bessarabia, moved in 1812 to Turkey. In 1828-1860. the total balance of migrations of Russian subjects amounted to a negative value, equal to 222.5 thousand people. Most of the emigrants were Poles, who left the Kingdom of Poland in 1831 after the suppression of the Polish uprising. In 1828-1860. there was a positive migration balance of 260 thousand people. Mostly they were immigrants from the German states (33.5%), Austria (21.3%) and the Ottoman Empire (10.3% - Bulgarians, Greeks, Armenians).

In general, in the first half of the XIX century. about 450 thousand people arrived in Russia. immigrants (115 thousand Germans, 135 thousand Bulgarians and Greeks and about 200 thousand Armenians). Germans, Bulgarians and Greeks settled mainly in the Northern Black Sea region, and Armenians - in Transcaucasia. Emigration from Russia affected mainly the Poles (about 400 thousand people).

During the period under study, the state conducted several censuses (audits), so we have the opportunity to assess the main ethnic processes going on in the country.

From 1795 to 1858 (between V and X revisions) there is a decrease in the share of the Russian population: from 48.86 to 45.87%. First of all, this was due to the inclusion in Russia of lands with an overwhelming non-Russian population, as well as to the improvement of the system for recording the national composition of residents. However, in some places, opposite processes were also observed - the linguistic assimilation of ethnic groups living in stripes with Russians. We are talking about Mordovians, Izhors, the Ukrainian population of the Lower Volga region and the North Caucasus, Komi-Permyaks, baptized Tatars. On the territory of the Empire within the borders of the 1720s, i.e. within Russia itself, the share of the Russian population also decreased - from 68.54 to 67.25%, which was caused by the massive movement of Russians to the national outskirts.

Similar ethnic processes were characteristic of the second largest national group of the Empire - Ukrainians, but their share, unlike Russians, in the country's population increased. They also (like the Tatars, Chuvashs, Mordovians, Maris) took part in the Russian colonization of the national outskirts of the country, primarily Novorossia, the North Caucasus, the Lower Volga region, the Southern Urals, and Siberia. If the area of ​​settlement of the Ukrainian people in the Russian Empire increased, then in the Austro-Hungarian Empire, on the contrary, the share of Ukrainians fell, and primarily due to the rapid pace of assimilation. Such peoples as Belarusians, Poles, Lithuanians, Latvians and many others retained their numbers and main areas of residence in the Russian Empire.

In general, the feudal-serf system and its remnants negatively affected the growth rate of the Russian population. Therefore, in those outlying regions of the Empire, where its influence was weaker, and the natural and climatic conditions were better, the population increased at a faster pace. Assimilation processes in the pre-reform years have not yet received significant development. First of all, small groups of a foreign-speaking population were assimilated, interspersed with large arrays of nationalities prevailing in terms of language (Russians, Tatars, Ukrainians). Such processes proceeded mainly in the Lower and Middle Volga region, in the north of European Russia, in some regions of Ukraine (Kholmskaya Rus, Galicia, Transcarpathia). Assimilation processes were also active among the rapidly Russified representatives of the ruling classes (nobility, bureaucracy).

The Russian Federation is a multinational state with more than 100 nationalities and nationalities. The main part is made up of Russians - 82% of the total population of the state. They represent the most numerous group of Slavic peoples living on Russian territory and prevail in all regions of Russia, with the exception of the republics of the North Caucasus (Dagestan, Kabardino-Balkarian, North Ossetian, Chechen, Ingush, Karachay-Cherkess Republics), the Volga region (Tatarstan, Kalmykia), Volga-Vyatka region (Chuvash Republic and Mari El), Urals (Udmurt Republic, Bashkortostan, Komi-Permyatsky Autonomous Okrug), Western Siberia (Republic of Altai), Eastern Siberia (Republic of Tuva), Far East (Republic of Sakha). The most compact places of residence of Russians are the central, western, and partially northern regions of the European part of the Russian Federation. In the Oryol, Lipetsk, Kursk, Tambov, Ryazan regions, more than 90% of the population are Russians, and in Western, Eastern Siberia and the Far East, the number of Russians reaches 80-85% of the total population of these regions.

Tatars (3.7%) are in second place by nationality, followed by Ukrainians (3%), Chuvashs (1.2%). The share of each of the other nationalities does not exceed 1%.

The north and north-west of the European territory of the country is inhabited by peoples of the Finno-Ugric language group: Komi, Permians, Karelians, Saami. In the Volga region, the Urals, the Kama region and Siberia, along with the Russians, a number of peoples and nationalities live, which received their autonomy after the October Revolution of 1917. These nationalities include the Udmurts, Mordvins (Erzya and Moksha), belonging to the Finno-Ugric group, Mari and speaking languages Turkic group of Tatars, Bashkirs and Chuvashs. One of the most multinational regions of Russia is the North Caucasus, which is inhabited by the peoples of the Nakh-Dagestan language group - Chechens, Ingush, Avars, Lezgins, Balkars, Kumyks, Laks, Dargins and the Abkhaz-Adyghe group - Kabardins, Adyghes, Circassians. The small peoples of the North are represented by the Samoyed group. It includes the Nenets, Nganasans and Selkups. The peoples of the Ugric group, the Khanty and the Mansi, live in the central part of Western Siberia. The Evenks, Evens, Nanais and Udeges inhabiting the territory of Eastern Siberia and the Far East make up the Tungus-Manchurian group. The Chukchi, Karyaks, Yukaghirs, Nivkhs belong to the poly-Asiatic peoples, and the Eskimos and Aleuts belong to a special family with Americanoid features. The Mongolian group includes Buryats living in the south of Eastern Siberia. This language group also includes the Kalmyks, who inhabit the southwestern part of the Volga region.

The specificity of the current stage in the formation of national relations lies in the fact that the centrifugal tendencies that contributed to the collapse of the Soviet Union have also spread to Russia. The separatism of the formed sovereign republics manifested itself in the desire for political and economic isolation of individual republics and regions, complete disregard for common interests.

These objective reasons for the persistent tension in the Caucasus are exacerbated by the absence of a clearly formulated national policy in the region. The conflict situation in the region is developing between the Cossacks and the nationalities on whose territory they live, which gives rise to the problem of refugees in the Krasnodar, Stavropol Territories and the Rostov Region and, as a result, the growth of social tension, unemployment and other negative phenomena.

The problem of the small peoples of the North is also complicated, the number of which in the European part of Russia reaches 9.7 thousand people. Despite the fact that in recent years certain progress has been made in the development of the peoples of the North, due to the lack of a sufficiently effective mechanism for self-government and management, many measures for the socio-economic development of the peoples of the North have not been fully implemented. Disproportions in the sex composition of the population have deepened - the male population predominates. A tense situation has developed in providing employment to the population, which is a consequence of an undeveloped social infrastructure, an acute housing problem, poor development of crafts and industries for processing reindeer products, for the manufacture of consumer goods. In areas inhabited by small peoples, the ecological situation, the state of hunting and fishing have deteriorated, and the area of ​​​​reindeer pastures has decreased. Therefore, the transition to a market economy put forward the creation of an effective mechanism for the social protection of the small peoples of the North as a priority.

Population migration. The population size and its structure are predetermined not only by natural, but also by migration movement.

Until recently, the problem of population migration, both voluntary (labor) and forced (refugees) was at the center of the socio-political life of Western European and a number of countries in other regions of the world. The population of the Soviet Union practically did not take part in migration processes.

Starting from the second half of the 1980s, migration exchange between Russia and non-CIS countries has been intensifying. The outflow of the population for permanent residence in other countries of the world has sharply increased. International migration flows have intensified due to the collapse of the USSR. For 1992-1995 3,838 thousand people left the Russian Federation, of which 400.2 thousand people left for the CIS and Baltic countries. The largest emigration flows went to the former Soviet republics: Ukraine (49.3%), Kazakhstan (17.7%), Belarus (11.2%) of all those who left for the Baltic and CIS states. The areas of disposal were mainly the Far East, West Siberian and Central. The directions of emigration are largely determined by the national composition of the settlers. Nearly 2.5 million people (63.5%) went to other foreign countries: Germany - 69.5%, Israel - 14.4%, USA - 10.1%. According to national characteristics: Germans - 53.5%, Russians - 24.0%, Jews - 15.8%. When exchanging with non-CIS countries, our country has a negative balance before migration, amounting to 2,436.2 thousand people over the past four years. Most emigrants from Russia belong to national minorities with strong family diasporas in the US, Israel and Germany. Only a third of those leaving Russia indicated ethnic persecution or prejudice against their nationality as one of the reasons for leaving. Economic motives for migration prevail over others. The vast majority associate their life plans with employment in a new place in order to improve their material level.

In the socio-professional structure of those leaving, a significant proportion is occupied by specialists. Their share among emigrants is almost 19 times higher than among the population of Russia. Among the specialists, persons with a higher technical education prevail (about 70%), 15% have a doctorate or a candidate of science degree. About 30% of migrants have higher education. Not only scientists are leaving, but also highly skilled workers. All this leads to a decrease in the quality of Russia's labor resources. Intellectual emigration is basically irrevocable, causing significant damage to the state. The departure of the creative intelligentsia and skilled workers exacerbates the problems of overcoming the crisis and reduces the possibilities for the development of the economy and society.

The main task at present is not to contain emigration, but to regulate it, to turn irrevocable emigration into a return one. Solving the issues of organized employment of Russians abroad will reduce irrevocable flows by almost a third. This will also ease economic and social tensions in society, enable citizens to acquire skills in the market system, improve their professional experience and knowledge, and gain savings for their subsequent investment in the Russian economy.

The aggravated interethnic relations both in the former republics of the Soviet Union and in the Russian Federation caused a large immigration of the population. For 1992-1995 3,836.5 thousand people arrived in the Russian Federation from the CIS and Baltic states, which accounted for 99.9% of all arrivals from other countries of the world. Immigration acts in the form of refugees and forced migration. Over the past four years, the flow of refugees has increased from 160.3 to 974.4 thousand people. The largest flow of migrants was directed from Tajikistan (23.8%), Georgia (15%) and Azerbaijan (13.4%). The bulk of the refugees are Russians (65% of the total number of arrivals in Russia from the CIS and Baltic countries). From the point of view of the reproduction of the labor potential of Russia, the age composition of immigrants is of great importance. Of the total number of arrivals in Russia, the proportion of people under the age of 16 is 24%, of working age - 65.2%, older than working age - 10.8%. From the standpoint of the reproduction of labor resources, the composition of immigrants to the country can be qualified as a positive process that contributes to the growth of the country's labor potential both now and in the future. In this regard, immigration is most favorable for the Far Eastern, Northern, East Siberian, West Siberian, Ural economic regions and the Kaliningrad region and less favorable for the North Caucasian, Northwestern, Central Black Earth and Central regions.

The absolute and relative scale of immigration to Russia from far abroad has always been small and does not exceed 1% of the total number of arrivals in the Russian Federation. The socio-demographic structure of the labor force arriving in Russia has the classic features of labor immigration. These are mainly unskilled workers from Southeast Asia. Among them, men predominate (on average 80%), the age composition of which is up to 40 years.

They come without families, which is stipulated in intergovernmental agreements. The insignificance of the scale of this category of labor immigrants is especially clearly reflected in the indicators of the share of the number of foreign citizens in the total number of employees. In general, for the national economy of Russia, this figure is very low - less than 0.1%.

However, many problems arise due to the arrival of so-called illegal immigrants in Russia. Basically, these are immigrants from Ethiopia, Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia and a number of other countries. According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation, approximately 200 thousand illegal immigrants from far abroad countries live in Moscow alone, and in the coming years their number may reach 6 million people.

In Siberia and the Far East without any permission, i.e. about 1 million Chinese live illegally, and often without a specific occupation.

Given that neither law enforcement nor health authorities are able to keep records of the places of residence, work and health of foreign workers, in some regions there is a real threat of the spread of infections and epidemics. There is growing discontent among local residents. In places where foreign workers live, social tension is sharply increasing. The uncontrolled movement of forced and voluntary migrants often leads to a surplus of labor force and to competition on the part of the newcomers, which is undesirable for the local population.

In the course of the implementation of the state long-term program "Migration" in Russia, the issue of creating, together with other CIS countries, relevant joint structures, developing coordinated legislation on refugees that determines their status, establishes procedures and conditions for obtaining it, their minimum social guarantees becomes important. If these, as well as a number of other measures, were implemented within the framework of the single socio-economic space of the CIS, a legal framework would be provided that would ensure equal rights for refugees and internally displaced persons, and they would thus be under the protection of all Commonwealth states, on whose territory, by will fate turned out.