Autonomous okrug

Autonomous okrugs ( rus, автономный округ, ''avtonomnyy okrug''; more correctly 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 2014, Russia has four autonomous okrugs of its 85 federal subjects. The Chukotka Autonomous Okrug is the only okrug which is not subordinate to an oblast. The other three are Arkhangelsk Oblast's Nenets Autonomous Okrug, and Tyumen Oblast's Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug and Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug.

According to the constitution of the USSR, autonomous republics, autonomous oblasts and autonomous okrugs had the right, by means of a referendum, 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 to indigenous peoples of the North, like the Karelian National Okrug for the Tver Karelians. In 1977, 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 are subordinated to the oblasts and krais, this clause was revised on December 15, 1990, when it was specified that autonomous okrugs are subordinated directly to the Russian SFSR, 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

russian: Анадырь (')

ckt, Кагыргын (')
, 50,526
,
, 1930-12-10
, -
,
,
, Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug


, russian: Ханты-Мансийский Автономный Округ (')

Khanty: Хӑнты-Мансийской Aвтономной Округ (')

Mansi: Ханты-Мансийский Автономный Округ (')
, Khanty-Mansiysk

russian: Ханты-Мансийск (')

Khanty: Ёмвоҷ (')

Mansi: Абга (')
, 1,532,243
,
, 1930-12-10
, -
,
,
, Nenets Autonomous Okrug


, russian: Ненецкий Автономный Округ (')

yrk, Ненёцие Aвтономной Ӈокрук (')
, Naryan-Mar

russian: Нарьян-Мар (')

yrk, Няръянa Mарˮ (')
, 42,090
,
, 1929-07-15
, -
,
,
, Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug


, russian: Ямало-Ненецкий Автономный Округ (')

yrk, Ямалы-Ненёцие Aвтономной Ӈокрук (')
, Salekhard

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
, -
,
,
, Evenk Autonomous Okrug


, russian: Эвенкийский Автономный Округ (')

evn, Эведы Автомоды Округ (')
, Tura

russian: Тура (')

evn, Typy (')
, 16,979 (2007)
,
, 1930–2007
, -
,
,
, Komi-Permyak Autonomous Okrug


, russian: Коми-Пермяцкий Автономный Округ (')

koi, Коми-Пермяцкöй Aвтономнöй Округ (')
, Kudymkar

russian: Кудымкар (')

koi, Кудымкöр (')
, 132,824 (2005)
,
, 1930–2005
, -
,
,
, Koryak Autonomous Okrug


, russian: Корякский Автономный Округ (')

Koryak: Чав’чываокруг (')
, Palana

russian: Палана (')

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


, russian: Таймырский Автономный Округ (')
, Dudinka

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


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

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

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 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 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.

References

See also

* Autonomous republics of the Soviet Union
*Autonomous oblasts of the Soviet Union
* Federal subjects of Russia
* Republics of Russia

{{Use mdy dates, date=February 2014

Subdivisions of the Soviet Union

Soviet Union
Russian-speaking countries and territories
Federal subjects of Russia