Autonomous

okrug An ''okrug, ; russian: о́круг, ókrug; sr, округ, okrug, ; uk, о́круг, о́kruh; be, акруга, akruha; pl, okręg; ab, оқрҿс; mhr, йырвел, '' is a type of administrative division in some Slavic states. The ...

s ( rus, автономный округ, ''avtonomnyy okrug''; more correctly referred to as "autonomous districts" or "autonomous areas") are a type of

federal subject The federal subjects of Russia, also referred to as the subjects of the Russian Federation (russian: субъекты Российской Федерации, subyekty Rossiyskoy Federatsii) or simply as the subjects of the federation (russian ...

of the

Russian Federation Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...

and simultaneously an administrative division type of some federal subjects. As of 2014, Russia has four autonomous okrugs of its 85 federal subjects. The

Chukotka Autonomous Okrug Chukotka (russian: Чуко́тка), officially the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug,, ''Čukotkakèn avtonomnykèn okrug'', is the easternmost federal subjects of Russia, federal subject of Russia. It is an autonomous okrug situated in the Russian ...

is the only okrug which is not subordinate to an

oblast An oblast (; ; Cyrillic (in most languages, including Russian and Ukrainian): , Bulgarian: ) is a type of administrative division of Belarus, Bulgaria, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Ukraine, as well as the Soviet Union and the Kingdom of ...

. The other three are

Arkhangelsk Oblast Arkhangelsk Oblast (russian: Арха́нгельская о́бласть, ''Arkhangelskaya oblast'') is a federal subjects of Russia, federal subject of Russia (an oblast). It includes the Arctic Ocean, Arctic archipelagos of Franz Josef Land ...

Nenets Autonomous Okrug The Nenets Autonomous Okrug (russian: Не́нецкий автоно́мный о́круг; Nenets languages, Nenets: Ненёцие автономной ӈокрук, ''Nenjocije awtonomnoj ŋokruk'') is a federal subjects of Russia, federal su ...

, and

Tyumen Oblast Tyumen Oblast (russian: Тюме́нская о́бласть, ''Tyumenskaya oblast'') is a federal subject (an oblast) of Russia. It is geographically located in the Western Siberia region of Siberia, and is administratively part of the Urals ...

Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug The Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug (YaNAO; russian: Яма́ло-Не́нецкий автоно́мный о́круг (ЯНАО), ; yrk, Ямалы-Ненёцие автономной ӈокрук, ) or Yamalia (russian: Ямалия) is a fed ...

and

Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug–Yugra (Russian and Mansi: Ханты-Мансийский автономный округ — Югра, ''Khanty-Mansiysky avtonomny okrug — Yugra;'' Khanty: Хӑнты-Мансийской Aвтономной � ...

. According to the

constitution of the USSR During its existence, the Soviet Union had three different constitutions in force individually at different times between 31 January 1924 to 26 December 1991. Chronology of Soviet constitutions These three constitutions were: * 1924 Constitut ...

autonomous republics An autonomous republic is a type of administrative division similar to a province or state. A significant number of autonomous republics can be found within the successor states of the Soviet Union, but the majority are located within Russia. Man ...

, autonomous oblasts and autonomous okrugs had the right, by means of a

referendum A referendum (plural: referendums or less commonly referenda) is a direct vote by the electorate on a proposal, law, or political issue. This is in contrast to an issue being voted on by a representative. This may result in the adoption of a ...

, to independently resolve the issue of staying in the USSR or in the seceding union republic, as well as to raise the issue of their state-legal status.

History

Originally called national okrug, this type of administrative unit was created in the 1920s and widely implemented in 1930s to provide

autonomy In developmental psychology and moral, political, and bioethical philosophy, autonomy, from , ''autonomos'', from αὐτο- ''auto-'' "self" and νόμος ''nomos'', "law", hence when combined understood to mean "one who gives oneself one's ...

to indigenous peoples of the North, like the

Karelian National Okrug Karelian National Okrug (russian: Карельский национальный о́круг, ''Karelsky Natsionalny okrug''), was a territory with special status within Kalinin Oblast, Soviet Union. It existed between 1937 and 1939 and was inte ...

for the

Tver Karelians Tver Karelians are a people who inhabit regions of Tver, Saint Petersburg, and Moscow. Their dialect is remarkable in that it does not borrow from other Balto-Finnic languages due to centuries of geographical isolation. Although the number of Tve ...

. In 1977, the

1977 Soviet Constitution The 1977 Constitution of the Soviet Union, officially the Constitution (Fundamental Law) of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, was the constitution of the Soviet Union adopted on 7 October 1977 until its dissolution on 21 December 1991. ...

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 are subordinated to the oblasts and

krai A krai or kray (; russian: край, , ''kraya'') is one of the types of federal subjects of modern Russia, and was a type of geographical administrative division in the Russian Empire and the Russian SFSR. Etymologically, the word is relate ...

s, this clause was revised on December 15, 1990, when it was specified that autonomous okrugs are subordinated directly to the

Russian SFSR The Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, Russian SFSR or RSFSR ( rus, Российская Советская Федеративная Социалистическая Республика, Rossíyskaya Sovétskaya Federatívnaya Soci ...

, although they still may stay in jurisdiction of a krai or an oblast to which they were subordinated before.

Autonomous Okrugs

} (')

ckt, Чукоткакэн Aвтономныкэн Округ (') ,

Anadyr Anadyr may refer to: *Anadyr (town), a town and the administrative center of Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, Russia *Anadyr District *Anadyr Estuary *Anadyr (river), a river in Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, Russia *Anadyr Highlands *Anadyr Lowlands *Operati ...

russian: Анадырь (')

ckt, Кагыргын (') , 50,526 , , 1930-12-10 , - , Flag of Yugra

Map of Russia - Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug

, russian: Ханты-Мансийский Автономный Округ (')

Khanty The Khanty (Khanty: ханти, ''hanti''), also known in older literature as Ostyaks (russian: остяки) are a Ugric indigenous people, living in Khanty–Mansi Autonomous Okrug, a region historically known as "Yugra" in Russia, together ...

: Хӑнты-Мансийской Aвтономной Округ (')

Mansi Mansi may refer to: People * Mansi people, an indigenous people living in Tyumen Oblast, Russia ** Mansi language * Giovanni Domenico Mansi (1692–1769), Italian theologian, scholar, historian and archbishop * Kate Mansi, American actress born in ...

: Ханты-Мансийский Автономный Округ (') ,

Khanty-Mansiysk Khanty-Mansiysk ( rus, Ха́нты-Манси́йск, Khánty-Mansíysk, lit. ''Khanty-Mansi Town''; Khanty language, Khanty: , ''Jomvoćś''; Mansi language, Mansi: , ''Abga'') is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, city and the admini ...

russian: Ханты-Мансийск (')

: Ёмвоҷ (')

: Абга (') , 1,532,243 , , 1930-12-10 , - , Flag of Nenets Autonomous District

, russian: Ненецкий Автономный Округ (')

yrk, Ненёцие Aвтономной Ӈокрук (') ,

Naryan-Mar Naryan-Mar (russian: Нарья́н-Мар; Nenets: Няръянa марˮ, ''Njarjana marꜧ'', literally "red town") is a sea and river port town and the administrative center of the Nenets Autonomous Okrug, Russia. The town is situated on the r ...

russian: Нарьян-Мар (')

yrk, Няръянa Mарˮ (') , 42,090 , , 1929-07-15 , - , Flag of Yamal-Nenets Autonomous District

Map of Russia - Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug

, russian: Ямало-Ненецкий Автономный Округ (')

yrk, Ямалы-Ненёцие Aвтономной Ӈокрук (') ,

Salekhard Salekhard (russian: Салеха́рд; Khanty: , ''Pułñawat''; yrk, Саляʼ харад, ''Saljaꜧ harad'') is a town in Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug, Russia, serving as the okrug's administrative centre. It crosses the Arctic Circle, th ...

russian: Салехард (')

yrk, Саляʼ Xарад (') , 522,904 , , 1930-12-10

Former Autonomous Okrugs

} (')

bua, Агын Буряадай Aвтономито Tойрог (') , Aginskoye

russian: Агинское (')

bua, Ага (') , 76,383 (2008) , , 1937–2008 , - , Flag of Evenkia

Evenk Autonomous Okrug Evenk Autonomous Okrug (russian: Эвенки́йский автоно́мный о́круг, ; , ), or Evenkia, was a federal subject of Russia (an autonomous okrug of Krasnoyarsk Krai). It had been created in 1930. Its administrative center w ...

, russian: Эвенкийский Автономный Округ (')

evn, Эведы Автомоды Округ (') , Tura

russian: Тура (')

evn, Typy (') , 16,979 (2007) , , 1930–2007 , - , Flag of Permyakia

Komi-Permyak Autonomous Okrug Komi-Permyak Autonomous Okrug (russian: Коми-Пермяцкий Автономный Округ; koi, Коми-Пермяцкöй Aвтономнöй Округ) was an autonomous okrug of Russia, administered by Perm Oblast. It was establishe ...

, russian: Коми-Пермяцкий Автономный Округ (')

koi, Коми-Пермяцкöй Aвтономнöй Округ (') ,

Kudymkar Kudymkar (russian: Куды́мкар; kv, Кудымкöр, ''Kudymkör''; Komi-Permyak: ), is a town and the administrative center of Komi-Permyak Okrug of Perm Krai, Russia. Until 2005, it was the administrative center of Komi-Permyak Autono ...

russian: Кудымкар (')

koi, Кудымкöр (') , 132,824 (2005) , , 1930–2005 , - , Flag of Koryakia

Koryak Autonomous Okrug Koryak may refer to: *Koryaks, a people of northeastern Siberia *Koryak language, language of the Koryaks *Koryak Okrug, an administrative division of Kamchatka Krai, Russia *Koryak, the son of Aquaman Aquaman is a superhero appearing in ...

, russian: Корякский Автономный Округ (')

Koryak: Чав’чываокруг (') , Palana

russian: Палана (')

Koryak: Пылылъын (') , 22,580 (2007) , , 1930–2007 , - , Flag of Taymyr Autonomous Okrug

Taymyr Autonomous Okrug Taymyr Dolgano-Nenets Autonomous Okrug (russian: Таймы́рский Долга́но-Не́нецкий автоно́мный о́круг, '; Enets: Таймыр Оша-Дюрак район, Nenets: Таймыр Долганы-Ненэц ...

, russian: Таймырский Автономный Округ (') ,

Dudinka Dudinka (russian: Дуди́нка; Nenets: Тут'ын, ''Tutꜧyn'') is a town on the Yenisei River and the administrative center of Taymyrsky Dolgano-Nenetsky District of Krasnoyarsk Krai, Russia. It used to be the administrative center of Tay ...

russian: Дудинка (') , 38,372 (2007) , , 1930–2007 , - , Flag of Ust-Orda Buryat Autonomous Okrug

Ust-Orda Buryat Autonomous Okrug Ust-Orda Buryat Autonomous Okrug (russian: Усть-Орды́нский Буря́тский автоно́мный о́круг (УОБАО); bua, Усть-Ордын (Усть-Ордагай) Буряадай автономито тойро� ...

, russian: Усть-Ордынский Бурятский Автономный Округ (')

bua, Усть-Ордын Буряадай Aвтономито Tойрог (') ,

Ust-Ordynsky Ust-Ordynsky (russian: Усть-Орды́нский, bua, Ордын Адаг, Ordyn Adag) is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, rural locality (a settlement) and the administrative center of Ekhirit-Bulagatsky District of Ust-Orda Buryat ...

russian: Усть-Ордынский (')

bua, Ордын Адаг (') , 134,320 (2008) , , 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 The titular nation is the single dominant ethnic group in a particular state, typically after which the state was named. The term was used for the first time by Maurice Barrès in the late 19th century. Countries Soviet Union The notion was used ...

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 The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...

. The process was subsequently scrapped on July 2 following public outcry to the merger. The ten autonomous okrugs in 1990 were:

Ethnic composition of autonomous okrugs

The table below also includes autonomous okrugs which have since changed status.

History

Autonomous Okrugs

Former Autonomous Okrugs

Recent developments

Ethnic composition of autonomous okrugs

References

See also