Russians in the system of inter-ethnic relations of the Republic of Dagestan

Abstract

Based on the study of the achievements of domestic historiography on the problem, official documentary materials, the results of demographic censuses of the population (of the imperial, Soviet and post-Soviet periods of Russia's development, characterizing the national composition of the population respectively, the Dagestan region of the Russian Empire, the Dagestan ASSR as part of the RSFSR, the Republic of Dagestan as part of Russian Federation), the article highlights the stages of formation, the number and dynamics of the settlement of the Russian population within the modern borders of Dagestan, its role and place in the system of interethnic relations of the republic. The reasons for the outflow of the Russian population from the republic are indicated; the features of the problem in the post-Soviet period (1990s) and measures to prevent it are shown. It is stated that the increasing absolute and relative reduction in their numbers in the 1990s the Russian population of Dagestan perceived it as their "survival" from the historically established territory of compact residence.

The author comes to the conclusion that the problem of the outflow of the Russian population was not caused by national hostility between the peoples of the Republic of Dagestan, which includes the Russian population, because some Russians who left the city of Kizlyar in the conditions of the crisis of the transition period (in a difficult social -political and socio-economic situation of the 1990s), were settled in other regions of the republic, and not outside it. For example, of those who left this region as of May 1994, 30% settled in other districts and cities of the republic.

The political side of the problem was the need to take all measures to stabilize the situation, to take the necessary measures of economic, socio-political impact to stop the migration process of the Russian population; direct the efforts of law enforcement agencies to create a united front in the Republic of Dagestan to combat the illegal actions of criminal elements trying to cash in on campaigns for the forced outflow of the Russian-speaking population. 

In view of its importance for the republic, the issue of stopping the outflow of the Russian population was identified from 1996 to 2006. In the annual Messages of the Chairman of the State Council of the Republic of Dagestan, from 2007 to 2014 – President of the Republic of Dagestan, since 2015 – Head of the Republic of Dagestan to the People's Assembly of the Republic. Issues of social well-being of the Russian population in a multinational entity are also under the constant control of the leadership of Dagestan and the Russian Federation.