Ethnic and Regional Identities in Sakha Intensifying among Ethnic Sakha and Ethnic Russians Living in That Republic, Sociological Survey Shows

Paul Goble

            Staunton, July 20 – The Moscow Institute of Sociology posted on its Facebook page yesterday a summary of an article that appeared in its journal last year showing that ethnic and regional identities are on the rise in Sakha among both ethnic Sakha and ethnic Russians and that both groups favor greater autonomy from Moscow.

            Ekaterina Arutyunova’s article, “Ethnicity and regionality in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia): the significance and content of identities under external pressure” [in Russian], Vestnik instituta sotsiologii, 16: 1 (2025): pp. 13-29, is summarized on Facebook at facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=pfbid0ekV6xf5GJNm4nYgXspCzaN3oKrTfnFYpkKsEZKaokk8KXauJKNqBgJccKFGfSnVXl&id=100064692787010. The full text is available at vestnik-isras.ru/files/File/Vestnik_2025_52/Arutyunova_13-29.pdf.

            Both the decision of the Institute to post information now about this article by one of its senior researchers and the findings Aryutyunova are important, suggesting that the ethnicization and regionalization of identities in Sakha and likely elsewhere in the Russian Federation are intensifying and that the Institute wants her work to gain more attention.

            Those with an interest in these topics should go back to the original article; but the summary the Institute has posted on Facebook now is fair and merits reporting as an indication of what that Academy of Sciences body is thinking and wants others to pay attention to at the present time.

            The summary of the article suggests that “the ethnic identity of the Sakha people (ethnic Yakuts) remains consistently high and subjectively significant” and that “among Russian Yakuts its level is rising as well.” For both groups, the most important component of identity is native language.”

            The article specifies that religion is an increasingly important component of ethnic identity in Sakha and notes that for ethnic Russians there, “the statehood and history” they share with ethnic Russians across the country is “significantly important,” not surprising given the intertwining of ethnic and civic identities for that group.

            According to Aryutyinova, “regional and local identities are also very significant for ethnic Yakuts;” and she adds that “high level of regional identity” was also part of the identity of ethnic Russians living in the republic.  Both Sakha and ethnic Russians say they believe that “all citizens of Russia should have equal rights.”

            But, the summary notes, “more than a third of the Sakha agree with the position that "representatives of the indigenous nationality should have more rights in their national republic than representatives of other nationalities." That position could lead to unequal treatment, but the article suggests it may reflect fears of losing their ethnic identity.

            Both groups overwhelmingly believe that “it would be good for the peoples of the republics to have more independence;” but at the same time, both say that “it is important to prevent the growth of influence of outside actors hostile to Russia” who are exploiting “the so-called anti-colonialist and anti-imperial agenda” of some.