Khakassia (), officially the Republic of Khakassia, is a

republic A republic, based on the Latin phrase ''res publica'' ('public affair' or 'people's affair'), is a State (polity), state in which Power (social and political), political power rests with the public (people), typically through their Representat ...

Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...

located in southern

Siberia Siberia ( ; , ) is an extensive geographical region comprising all of North Asia, from the Ural Mountains in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east. It has formed a part of the sovereign territory of Russia and its predecessor states ...

. It is situated between

Krasnoyarsk Krai Krasnoyarsk Krai (, ) is a federal subjects of Russia, federal subject (a krai) of Russia located in Siberia. Its administrative center is the types of inhabited localities in Russia, city of Krasnoyarsk, the second-largest city in Siberia after ...

to the north and the

Altai Republic The Altai Republic, also known as the Gorno-Altai Republic, is a republic of Russia located in southern Siberia. The republic borders Kemerovo Oblast to the north, Khakassia to the northeast, Tuva to the east, Altai Krai to the west, as well ...

to the south. The capital city of Khakassia is Abakan, and the region covers an area of about . The population of Khakassia is approximately 537,000 people, with the majority of the population living in urban areas. The region is known for its natural beauty, with numerous rivers, lakes, and mountains. The Khakassky Nature Reserve is located in the region, and it is home to a wide variety of wildlife, including brown bears, wolves, and sable. The region is also known for its traditional crafts, such as woodworking and embroidery, and for its traditional festivals and celebrations.

Geography

The republic is located in the southwestern part of Eastern

and borders

in the north and east, the

Tuva Republic Tuva (; ) or Tyva (; ), officially the Republic of Tyva,; , is a republic of Russia. Tuva lies at the geographical center of Asia, in southern Siberia. The republic borders the federal subjects of the Altai Republic, Buryatia, Irkutsk ...

in the southeast and south, the

in the south and southwest, and

Kemerovo Oblast Kemerovo Oblast (, ), also known as Kuzbass (, ), after the Kuznetsk Basin, is a federal subjects of Russia, federal subject of Russia (an oblast). Kemerovo is the administrative center and largest city of the oblast. Kemerovo Oblast is one of Rus ...

in the west and northwest. It stretches for from north to south and for from east to west. Mountains (eastern slopes of

Kuznetsk Alatau Kuznetsk Alatau () is a mountain range in southern Siberia, Russia. The range rises in the Altai-Sayan region of the South Siberian Mountains, northwest of Mongolia. The Siberian Railway skirts the northern limit of the range. Geography ...

and the

Abakan Range Abakan Range () is a mountain range in Southwestern Siberia, located mainly in Khakassia, Russia: It is mostly covered by taiga, up to , followed by mountainous tundra. The range also consists sparse areas of granite, gabbro, and diorite. ...

) cover two-thirds of the republic's territory and serve as the natural boundaries of the republic. The highest point is

Kyzlasov Peak Kyzlasov Peak ( , ''Kızlasovtıñ tağı'') is a peak in Khakassia, Russia. It is the highest point of the federal subject. This mountain was a formerly unnamed peak that was officially named in honor of Khakas historian and archaeologist ...

. The remaining territory is flat, with the

Minusinsk Hollow Minusinsk Basin or Khakass-Minusinsk Basin (, ''Minusinskaya (Chakassko-Minusinskaya) kotlovina'') is in Khakassia and Krasnoyarsk Krai, Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It ...

being the most prominent feature. The Yenisei is the largest river in the republic. Other significant rivers include the Abakan, Tom’,

Bely Iyus The Bely Iyus () is a river in the Republic of Khakassia in Russia. It is the right source river of the Chulym.Black Iyus, and the Chulym (between the Yenisei and the eastern mountains), with all except the Abakan part of the Ob river basin. There are over three hundred lakes in the republic, both salt- and fresh-water. The climate is continental, with the average annual temperature of . Natural resources are abundant and include iron, gold, silver, coal, oil, and natural gas.

Molybdenum Molybdenum is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol Mo (from Neo-Latin ''molybdaenum'') and atomic number 42. The name derived from Ancient Greek ', meaning lead, since its ores were confused with lead ores. Molybdenum minerals hav ...

deposits are the largest in Russia. Forests cover the south and the west of the republic.

History

The territory of modern Khakassia formed the core of the Yenisei Kirghiz state from the 6th century AD. In the 13th century, following defeat by the

Mongols Mongols are an East Asian ethnic group native to Mongolia, China ( Inner Mongolia and other 11 autonomous territories), as well as the republics of Buryatia and Kalmykia in Russia. The Mongols are the principal member of the large family o ...

, the majority of the Kyrgyz people migrated southwest to

Central Asia Central Asia is a region of Asia consisting of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. The countries as a group are also colloquially referred to as the "-stans" as all have names ending with the Persian language, Pers ...

to the area of present-day

Kyrgyzstan Kyrgyzstan, officially the Kyrgyz Republic, is a landlocked country in Central Asia lying in the Tian Shan and Pamir Mountains, Pamir mountain ranges. Bishkek is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Kyrgyzstan, largest city. Kyrgyz ...

. Modern Khakas people regard themselves as the descendants of those Kyrgyz who remained in

. Khakassia was incorporated into the Russian state under

Peter the Great Peter I (, ; – ), better known as Peter the Great, was the Sovereign, Tsar and Grand Prince of all Russia, Tsar of all Russia from 1682 and the first Emperor of Russia, Emperor of all Russia from 1721 until his death in 1725. He reigned j ...

(). This incorporation was confirmed in a treaty—the —between Russia and China in 1729. As it was common to deport convicted criminals from

European Russia European Russia is the western and most populated part of the Russia, Russian Federation. It is geographically situated in Europe, as opposed to the country's sparsely populated and vastly larger eastern part, Siberia, which is situated in Asia ...

to Siberia, forts were quickly constructed in Khakassia (1707 and 1718). Many prisoners remained even after release. Many of the indigenous Khakas people converted to the

Russian Orthodox The Russian Orthodox Church (ROC; ;), also officially known as the Moscow Patriarchate (), is an autocephaly, autocephalous Eastern Orthodox Church, Eastern Orthodox Christian church. It has 194 dioceses inside Russia. The Primate (bishop), p ...

faith and gradually abandoned their nomadic way of life. By the time of the 1917 Russian Revolution, Russians made up approximately half of the population. Under

Soviet The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

rule, autonomy was granted on 20 October 1930, when the Khakas Autonomous Oblast was established. The borders of the autonomous oblast are the same as the borders of the modern Khakas Republic. During the 1920s and 1930s, the Soviet authorities resettled an estimated quarter of a million Russians in the region. These were followed by 10,000 Volga Germans deported during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. By the time of the 1959 Census, ethnic Khakas people represented little more than 10% of the population of the Khakas oblast. Until 1991, the Khakas Autonomous Oblast was administratively subordinated to

. In July 1991, it was elevated in status to that of a Soviet socialist republic within the Russian Federation, and in February 1992 it became the Republic of Khakassia.

Administrative divisions

Politics

The highest legal act of the region is the Constitution of the Republic of Khakassia. It was adopted on 25 May 1995 by the Supreme Council of the Republic. The highest official of the republic, heading the executive power in the region, is the head of the Republic of Khakassia - the chairman of the government of the Republic of Khakassia. The term of office is 5 years. Since 15 November 2018, this post has been occupied by Valentin Konovalov (

Communist Party of the Russian Federation The Communist Party of the Russian Federation (CPRF; ) is a communist political party in Russia that officially adheres to Marxist–Leninist philosophy. It is the second-largest political party in Russia after United Russia. The youth o ...

). Legislative power in Khakassia is exercised by the unicameral Supreme Council of the Republic of Khakassia, consisting of 50 deputies elected by a mixed electoral system: 25 by party lists and 25 by single-member districts. The United Russia faction makes up an absolute majority in the region's parliament (35 seats, 70%). The Chairman of the Supreme Council of the current VII convocation, elected in 2018, is Vladimir Shtygashev. In the Federation Council, the region is represented by a member of the

CPRF The Communist Party of the Russian Federation (CPRF; ) is a communist political party in Russia that officially adheres to Marxist–Leninist philosophy. It is the second-largest political party in Russia after United Russia. The youth o ...

, Senator Valery Usatyuk, from the executive branch (since November 2018) and a member of United Russia, Senator Alexander Zhukov, from the legislative branch (since March 2019). The deputy of the State Duma of the VIII convocation from Khakassia is Sergey Sokol (United Russia).

Demographics

Population:

Vital statistics

: Source
Russian Federal State Statistics Service
In 2007, the republic recorded a positive natural increase of population for the first time in many years (Although very small, less than +0.01% per year), being one of the 20 Russian regions to have a positive natural population growth rate.

Ethnic groups

According to the 2021 Russian Census, ethnic

Russians Russians ( ) are an East Slavs, East Slavic ethnic group native to Eastern Europe. Their mother tongue is Russian language, Russian, the most spoken Slavic languages, Slavic language. The majority of Russians adhere to Eastern Orthodox Church ...

make up 82.1% of the republic's population, while the ethnic Khakas are only 12.7%. Other groups include ethnic Germans (0.7%), Tuvans (0.5%),

Ukrainians Ukrainians (, ) are an East Slavs, East Slavic ethnic group native to Ukraine. Their native tongue is Ukrainian language, Ukrainian, and the majority adhere to Eastern Orthodox Church, Eastern Orthodoxy, forming the List of contemporary eth ...

(0.4%), and a host of smaller groups, each accounting for less than 0.5% of the total population.

Religion

According to a 2012 survey, 31.6% of the population of Khakassia adheres to the

Russian Orthodox Church The Russian Orthodox Church (ROC; ;), also officially known as the Moscow Patriarchate (), is an autocephaly, autocephalous Eastern Orthodox Church, Eastern Orthodox Christian church. It has 194 dioceses inside Russia. The Primate (bishop), p ...

, 6% are unaffiliated

Christians A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the world. The words '' Christ'' and ''C ...

, 1% are Orthodox Christian believers without belonging to any church or are members of other (non-Russian) Orthodox churches. 2% of the population adheres to

Slavic native faith The Slavic Native Faith, commonly known as Rodnovery and sometimes as Slavic Neopaganism, is a modern Paganism, modern Pagan religion. Classified as a new religious movement, its practitioners hearken back to the Slavic paganism, historica ...

(Rodnovery) or Khakas

Tengrism Tengrism (also known as Tengriism, Tengerism, or Tengrianism) is a belief-system originating in the Eurasian steppes, based on shamanism and animism. It generally involves the titular sky god Tengri. According to some scholars, adherents of ...

and folk religion, 1% to

Islam Islam is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number Islam by country, 2 billion worldwide and are the world ...

, 1% to forms of

Protestantism Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...

, 0.4% to forms of

Hinduism Hinduism () is an Hypernymy and hyponymy, umbrella term for a range of Indian religions, Indian List of religions and spiritual traditions#Indian religions, religious and spiritual traditions (Sampradaya, ''sampradaya''s) that are unified ...

( Vedism,

Krishnaism Krishnaism is a term used in scholarly circles to describe large group of independent Hinduism, Hindu traditions—sampradayas related to Vaishnavism—that center on the devotion to Krishna as ''Svayam Bhagavan'', ''Ishvara'', ''Para Brahman'' ...

Tantrism Tantra (; ) is an esoteric yogic tradition that developed on the Indian subcontinent beginning in the middle of the 1st millennium CE, first within Shaivism and later in Buddhism. The term ''tantra'', in the Indian traditions, also means ...

) and another 0.4% to

Tibetan Buddhism Tibetan Buddhism is a form of Buddhism practiced in Tibet, Bhutan and Mongolia. It also has a sizable number of adherents in the areas surrounding the Himalayas, including the Indian regions of Ladakh, Gorkhaland Territorial Administration, D ...

. In addition, 38% of the population declares to be " spiritual but not religious", 16% is

atheist Atheism, in the broadest sense, is an absence of belief in the existence of deities. Less broadly, atheism is a rejection of the belief that any deities exist. In an even narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there no ...

, and 2.6% follows other religions or did not give an answer to the question.

Economy

The main industries in the republic are coal mining, ore mining, and timber.

Transport

The road network is most developed around the major cities of the centre, west, and southwest. Federal highway R-257 runs through Khakassia. Other major highways include the regional highway A161 south from R-257 in Abakan along the Abakan valley to Abaza and across the mountains to Ak-Dovurak (Tuva). The most developed sections of roads are Abakan - Sayanogorsk, Abakan - Beya, Abakan - Abaza, Abakan - Sorsk, Bograd - Shira - Kopyevo, and Kopyevo - Priiskovy. Roads to other smaller settlements are mainly dirt roads, although they are currently being replaced with a hard surface. 663 km of railways, electrified from Abakan to Kaltas. Other non-electrified sections are Tigey - Kopievo, Askiz - Abaza, Biskamzha - Toya. The section of the Tigey-Kopyёvo railway and further to Uzhur, Achinsk connects two railway arteries: the Trans-Siberian Railway and Yuzhsib (South-Siberian: Taishet - Abakan - Novokuznetsk - Artyshta - Barnaul - Kulunda - Pavlodar - Astana - Tobol - Kartaly - Magnitogorsk). In addition to Abakan, the central station is Biskamzha. The city of Sayanogorsk is connected to the railway network through the station Kamyshta. Airports: Abakan International Airport has regular flights to Moscow, Norilsk, Novosibirsk, Tomsk, and Krasnoyarsk.

Sports

Sayany-KhakassiaOfficial home page
/ref> has been playing in the highest division of Russian

bandy Bandy is a winter sport and ball sport played by two team sport, teams wearing Ice skates#Bandy skates, ice skates on a large ice surface (either indoors or outdoors) while using sticks to direct a ball into the opposing team's goal. The playin ...

, the Russian Bandy Super League, for a long time, but was relegated after the 2012–13 season. Now they play in the 2nd highest division. File:Abakan08.jpg, A

megalith A megalith is a large stone that has been used to construct a prehistoric structure or monument, either alone or together with other stones. More than 35,000 megalithic structures have been identified across Europe, ranging geographically f ...

File:Вид со второго сундука на первый сундук и на озеро.jpg, The Sunduki Highlands File:Вид на озеро Белё при подъеме на гору Чалпан.JPG, Lake Belyo (the largest in Khakassia) File:Река Белый Июс.jpg, The

Bely Iyus The Bely Iyus () is a river in the Republic of Khakassia in Russia. It is the right source river of the Chulym.List of Chairmen of the Supreme Council of Khakassia * Music in Khakassia *

Altai-Sayan region The Altai-Sayan region is an area of Inner Asia proximate to the Altai Mountains and the Sayan Mountains, near to where Russia, China, Mongolia and Kazakhstan come together. This region is one of the world centers of Temperate climate, temperate pl ...

References

Notes

Sources

* * * {{Authority control Central Asia States and territories established in 1991 Observer members of the International Organization of Turkic Culture Republics of Russia