Autonomous okrugs of Russia
{{Short description|Type of federal subject of Russia}}
{{More citations needed|date=April 2013}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2014}}
{{Infobox subdivision type
|name = Autonomous okrug
|alt_name =
|map = 330px
{{col-begin}}
2. Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug
4. Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug
{{col-end}}
|category = Federated state
|territory = Russian Federation
|start_date =
|current_number = 4
|number_date =
|population_range = 42,090 (Nenets Autonomous Okrug) – 1,532,243 (Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug)
|area_range = {{Convert|68200|sqmi|km2|abbr=on|order=flip}} (Nenets Autonomous Okrug) - {{Convert|289700|sqmi|km2|abbr=on|order=flip}} (Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug)
|government = Okrug government
|subdivision = administrative: districts, cities and towns of okrug significance, towns of district significance, urban-type settlements of district significance, selsoviets; municipal: urban okrugs, municipal districts, urban settlements, rural settlements
}}
Autonomous okrugs, ({{langx|ru|автономный округ|translit=avtonomnyy okrug}}) which are also referred to as "autonomous districts" or "autonomous areas" are a type of federal subject of the Russian Federation and simultaneously an administrative division type of some federal subjects. As of 2024, Russia has four autonomous okrugs of its 83 federal subjects.{{efn|If including the Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine, it would be 89 federal subjects.{{Cite book|editor-last=Heaney|editor-first=Dominic|title=The Territories of the Russian Federation 2023|edition=24th|year=2023|isbn=9781032469744|url=https://www.routledge.com/The-Territories-of-the-Russian-Federation-2023/Publications/p/book/9781032469744|chapter=The Government of the Russian Federation|pages=43–51|location=Abingdon|publisher=Routledge|quote=Including the two territories in Crimea, the 85 territories comprise 22 republics, nine krais (provinces), 46 oblasts (regions), three cities of federal status (Moscow, St Petersburg and Sevastopol), one autonomous oblast and four autonomous okrugs.}}{{Cite news |last=Dickson |first=Janice |date=30 September 2022 |title=Putin signs documents to illegally annex four Ukrainian regions, in drastic escalation of Russia's war |work=The Globe and Mail |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/world/article-putin-signs-documents-to-unlawfully-claim-4-ukrainian-regions-in/ |url-status=live |access-date=1 October 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221001031159/https://www.theglobeandmail.com/world/article-putin-signs-documents-to-unlawfully-claim-4-ukrainian-regions-in/ |archive-date=1 October 2022|quote=Mr. Putin’s claim to more than 15 per cent of Ukraine’s territory is the largest annexation in Europe since the Second World War.}}}} The Chukotka Autonomous Okrug is the only okrug which is not subordinate to an oblast. The Nenets Autonomous Okrug is a part of Arkhangelsk Oblast, the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug and the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug are parts of Tyumen Oblast.
According to the Constitution of the Soviet Union, in case of a union republic voting on leaving the Soviet Union, autonomous republics, autonomous oblasts, and autonomous okrugs had the right, by means of a referendum, to independently resolve whether they will stay in the USSR or leave with the seceding union republic, as well as to raise the issue of their state-legal status.{{Cite web|url=https://docs.cntd.ru/document/902002993|title=СОЮЗ СОВЕТСКИХ СОЦИАЛИСТИЧЕСКИХ РЕСПУБЛИК. ЗАКОН О порядке решения вопросов, связанных с выходом союзной республики из СССР|language=ru|access-date=13 June 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160912024819/https://docs.cntd.ru/document/902002993|archive-date=12 September 2016}}
History
Originally called national okrug, this type of administrative unit was created in the 1920s and widely implemented in the 1930s to provide autonomy to Indigenous peoples of the North, like the Karelian National Okrug for the Tver Karelians. The 1977 Soviet Constitution changed the term "national okrugs" to "autonomous okrugs" in order to emphasize that they were indeed autonomies and not simply another type of administrative and territorial division. While the 1977 Constitution stipulated that the autonomous okrugs were subordinated to the oblasts and krais, this clause was revised on December 15, 1990, when it was specified that autonomous okrugs were subordinated directly to the Russian SFSR, although they still could stay in the jurisdiction of a krai or an oblast to which they were subordinated before.
List of autonomous okrugs
| class="wikitable sortable" style="width:100%"
! class="unsortable" | Flag ! class="unsortable" | Map ! Name ! Domestic names ! Capital ! Area ! Formation |
|
| File:Map of Russia (2014–2022) - Chukotka Autonomous Okrug.svg | {{langx|ru|Чукотский Автономный Округ}} ({{Transliteration|ru|Chukotskiy Avtonomny Okrug}}) | Anadyr | 50,526 | {{sort|00028748|{{convert|721481|km2|sqmi|0|abbr=on}}}} | 1930-12-10 |
|
| File:Map of Russia - Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug.svg | Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug | {{langx|ru|Ханты-Мансийский Автономный Округ}} ({{Transliteration|ru|Khanty-Mansiyskiy Avtonomny Okrug}}) | Khanty-Mansiysk | 1,532,243 | {{sort|00028748|{{convert|534801|km2|sqmi|0|abbr=on}}}} | 1930-12-10 |
|
| File:Flag of Nenets Autonomous District.svg | File:Map of Russia - Nenets Autonomous Okrug.svg | {{langx|ru|Ненецкий Автономный Округ}} ({{Transliteration|ru|Nenetskiy Avtonomny Okrug}}) | Naryan-Mar | 42,090 | {{sort|00028748|{{convert|176810|km2|sqmi|0|abbr=on}}}} | 1929-07-15 |
|
| File:Flag of Yamal-Nenets Autonomous District.svg | File:Map of Russia (2014–2022) - Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug.svg | Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug | {{langx|ru|Ямало-Ненецкий Автономный Округ}} ({{Transliteration|ru|Yamalo-Nenetskiy Avtonomny Okrug}}) | Salekhard | 522,904 | {{sort|00028748|{{convert|769250|km2|sqmi|0|abbr=on}}}} | 1930-12-10 |
=Former autonomous okrugs=
| class="wikitable sortable" style="width:100%"
! class="unsortable" | Flag ! class="unsortable" | Map ! Name ! Domestic names ! Capital ! Population ! Area ! Years |
|
| File:Flag of Agin-Buryatia.svg | Agin-Buryat Autonomous Okrug | {{langx|ru|Агинский Бурятский Автономный Округ}} ({{Transliteration|ru|Aginskiy Buryatskiy Avtonomny Okrug}}) | Aginskoye | 76,383 (2008) | {{sort|00028748|{{convert|19592|km2|sqmi|0|abbr=on}}}} | 1937–2008 |
|
| {{langx|ru|Эвенкийский Автономный Округ}} ({{Transliteration|ru|Evenkiyskiy Avtonomny Okrug}}) | Tura | 16,979 (2007) | {{sort|00028748|{{convert|763197|km2|sqmi|0|abbr=on}}}} | 1930–2007 |
|
| Komi-Permyak Autonomous Okrug | {{langx|ru|Коми-Пермяцкий Автономный Округ}} ({{Transliteration|ru|Komi-Permyatskiy Avtonomny Okrug}}) | Kudymkar | 132,824 (2005) | {{sort|00028748|{{convert|32770|km2|sqmi|0|abbr=on}}}} | 1930–2005 |
|
| {{langx|ru|Корякский Автономный Округ}} ({{Transliteration|ru|Koryakskiy Avtonomny Okrug}}) | Palana | 22,580 (2007) | {{sort|00028748|{{convert|292600|km2|sqmi|0|abbr=on}}}} | 1930–2007 |
|
| File:Flag of Taymyr Autonomous Okrug.svg | {{langx|ru|Таймырский Автономный Округ}} ({{Transliteration|ru|Taymyrskiy Avtonomny Okrug}}) | Dudinka | 38,372 (2007) | {{sort|00028748|{{convert|879929|km2|sqmi|0|abbr=on}}}} | 1930–2007 |
|
| File:Flag of Ust-Orda Buryat Autonomous Okrug.svg | Ust-Orda Buryat Autonomous Okrug | {{langx|ru|Усть-Ордынский Бурятский Автономный Округ}} ({{Transliteration|ru|Ust’-Ordynskiy Avtonomny Okrug}}) | Ust-Ordynsky | 134,320 (2008) | {{sort|00028748|{{convert|22400|km2|sqmi|0|abbr=on}}}} | 1937–2008 |
Recent developments
In 1990, ten autonomous okrugs existed within the RSFSR. Between 2005 and 2008, the three autonomous okrugs in which the titular nationality constituted more than 30% of the population were abolished. Since then, three more have been abolished, leaving four. On 13 May 2020, the governors of Arkhangelsk Oblast and Nenets Autonomous Okrug announced their plan to merge following the collapse of oil prices stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic.{{Cite web|title="Catastrophic" economic situation prompts merger talks for Nenets AO and Arkhangelsk Oblast|url=https://thebarentsobserver.com/en/2020/05/catastrophic-economic-situation-prompts-merger-talks-nenets-ao-and-arkhangelsk-oblast|last=Quinn|first=Eilís|date=2020-05-14|website=The Barents Observer|language=en|access-date=2020-05-15}}{{Cite web|title=Russian Regions to Become Single Federal Subject in Decade-First|url=https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2020/05/13/russian-regions-to-become-single-federal-subject-in-decade-first-a70263|date=2020-05-13|website=The Moscow Times|language=en|access-date=2020-05-15}} The process was subsequently scrapped on July 2 following public outcry to the merger.{{Cite web|last=Antonova|first=Elizaveta|date=2 July 2020|title=The head of the Nenets Autonomous District declared refusal to unite with the Arkhangelsk region|url=https://www.rbc.ru/politics/02/07/2020/5efe1a469a7947457ecd4b4f|access-date=6 July 2020|website=RBC|language=ru}}
The ten autonomous okrugs in 1990 were:
| class="wikitable sortable"
! Entity in 1990 ! Status in August 2008 |
| Agin-Buryat Autonomous Okrug
| now Agin-Buryat Okrug of Zabaykalsky Krai |
| Chukotka Autonomous Okrug within Magadan Oblast
| no longer subordinated to Magadan Oblast |
| Evenk Autonomous Okrug within Krasnoyarsk Krai
| now Evenkiysky District of Krasnoyarsk Krai |
| Khanty–Mansi Autonomous Okrug within Tyumen Oblast
| (no change) |
| Komi-Permyak Autonomous Okrug
| now Komi-Permyak Okrug of Perm Krai |
| Koryak Autonomous Okrug within Kamchatka Oblast
| now Koryak Okrug of Kamchatka Krai |
| Nenets Autonomous Okrug within Arkhangelsk Oblast
| (no change) |
| Taymyr Autonomous Okrug within Krasnoyarsk Krai
| now Taymyrsky Dolgano-Nenetsky District of Krasnoyarsk Krai |
| Ust-Orda Buryat Autonomous Okrug within Irkutsk Oblast
| now Ust-Orda Buryat Okrug of Irkutsk Oblast |
| Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug within Tyumen Oblast
| (no change) |
Ethnic composition of autonomous okrugs
The table below also includes autonomous okrugs which have since changed status.
| class="wikitable sortable"
!Autonomous Okrug | colspan=4 align=center | titular nation | colspan=4 align=center | Russians | colspan=4 align=center | otherAre the people who are in parentheses next to the autonomous regions and the second-largest two-part Indigenous autonomous regions. | |||||||||
| year ||1979 ||1989 ||2002 ||2010 ||1979 ||1989 ||2002 ||2010 ||1979 ||1989 ||2002 ||2010 | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agin-Buryat Autonomous Okrugliquidated Autonomous okrug. | ▲52,2 | ▲ 54,9 | ▲ 62,5 | ▲ 65,1 | ▼42 | ▼ 40,8 | ▼ 35,1 | ▼ 32,5 | ||||
| Komi-Permyak Autonomous Okrug | ▲61,6 | ▼ 60,2 | ▼ 59 | ▼34,9 | ▲ 36,1 | ▲ 38,1 | ||||||
| Koryak Autonomous Okrug (all Indigenous) | 16,3 | ▲ 16,45 | ▲ 26,6 | ▲30,3 | 62,9 | ▼ 62 | ▼ 50,5 | ▼46,2 | 24,9 | ▲ 40,5 | ▲46,5 | |
| Nenets Autonomous Okrug (Komi) | ▼12,8 | ▼ 11,9 | ▲ 18,6 | {{steady}}18,6 | ▲66 | ▼ 65,8 | ▼ 62,4 | ▲ 66,1 | ▼11,1 | ▼ 9,5 | ▲ 10,8 | ▼ 9 |
| Taymyr Autonomous Okrug (Dolgan and Nenets) | ▼9,6 | ▼ 8,9 | ▲ 13,8 | ▲ 15,7 | ▲68,9 | ▼ 67,1 | ▼ 58,6 | ▼ 50,0 | ▼5 | ▼ 4,4 | ▲ 7,6 | ▲ 10,1 |
| Ust-Orda Buryat Autonomous Okrug | ▲34,1 | ▲ 36,3 | ▲ 39,6 | ▲39,8 | ▼58,3 | ▼ 56,5 | ▼ 54,4 | ▼ 54,2 | ||||
| Khanty–Mansi Autonomous Okrug | ▼1,9 | ▼ 0,9 | ▲ 1,2 | ▲ 1,3 | ▼74,3 | ▼ 66,3 | ▼ 66 | ▲ 68,1 | ▼1,1 | ▼ 0,5 | ▲ 0,7 | ▲ 0,8 |
| Chukotka Autonomous Okrug (all Indigenous) | ▼8,1 | ▼ 7,3 | ▲ 23,4 | ▲ 26,7 | ▼68,6 | ▼ 66,1 | ▼ 51,8 | ▲ 52,5 | 9,6 | ▲ 30,8 | ▲ 35,3 | |
| Evenk Autonomous Okrug | ▼20 | ▼ 14,1 | ▲ 21,5 | ▲ 22,0 | ▲62,5 | ▲ 67,5 | ▼ 61,9 | ▼ 59,4 | ||||
| Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug (Nenets) | ▼10,7 | ▼ 4,2 | ▲ 5,2 | ▲ 5,9 | ▲59,1 | ▲ 59,2 | ▼ 58,8 | ▲ 61,7 | ▼1,5 | ▲ 1,7 | ▲ 1,9 |
Notes
{{notelist}}
References
{{Reflist}}
See also
- Autonomous republics of the Soviet Union
- Autonomous oblasts of the Soviet Union
- Federal subjects of Russia
- Oblasts of Russia
- Republics of Russia
- Krais of Russia
- Federal cities of Russia
- Jewish Autonomous Oblast
{{Subdivisions of Russia}}
{{Administrative divisions of Russia}}
{{Soviet Union topics}}
Category:Subdivisions of the Soviet Union
Category:Countries and territories where Russian is an official language