National autonomies in the Far Eastern Republic: Post-imperial diversity management in pacific Russia, 1920–1922

ABSTRACT

The Far Eastern Republic is discussed as a post-imperial structure intended to accommodate the multiple loyalties of the population. The establishment of national autonomies (Buryat, Korean, Ukrainian, Jewish and Tatar) was one way of managing the diversity of its population. Though never fully implemented, the project contributed to a new form of governance in a multi-ethnic polity.

KEYWORDS:

• Autonomy
• Siberia
• Buryat
• Korean
• Ukrainian
• loyalty

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

ORCID

Ivan Sablin http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6706-4223

Notes

1. During the period under study this category included the Bashkirs and some other Turkic-speaking groups.

2. Other sources mention some 700,000 Koreans, 200,000 Ukrainians, 12,000 Jews and 10,000 Tatars in 1922 (GAKhK, f. R-19, op. 1, d. 47, l. 31); 9952 Evenkis, Evens and Orochens, 6207 Nivkhs, 4159 Nanais, 3212 Samagirs, Negidals, Ulchs, Oroks and Manegirs, 1817 Orochs (Udeges) and Tazes and 1457 Ainus in the whole of the Russian Far East in 1923 (GAKhK, f. R-58, op. 1, d. 30, l. 2a). The number of Ukrainians remains disputed due to the ambivalence of ethnic categories during the period under study. Ukrainian organizations claimed that there were some 437,000 Ukrainians in the Russian Far East in 1918 (Chernomaz 2009, 49).