The «Yugra Rescue» Association in ancestral lands: the results of ethnic mobilization of the Ob Ugrians
English
journal number:
Journal’s Subject Headings:
History, ethnography, archeology
About author:
Institute of History and Archaeology, Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Yekaterinburg, Russian Federation, [email protected]
ABSTRACT
Introduction: the traditional culture of the Khanty and Mansi was under threat of extinction in the 1980s due to the industrial development of Yugra and Soviet policy. Perestroika, which began in the USSR, stimulated the ethnic mobilization of the Ob Ugrians. The prevailing view was that indigenous peoples should decide their own fate. An initiative group of the Ob Ugrians with the help of the Okrug authorities has established the «Yugra Rescue» – Association of indigenous peoples of the North. Its main merit was the consolidation of aboriginal rights to lands in the regional legislation, that stopped uncontrolled expansion of oil companies.
Objective: to determine the reasons of the success of ethnic mobilization of the Ob Ugrians in 1988–1992.
Research materials: the article is based on studies on ethnic mobilization, introduces unpublished archival materials of the Association and memoirs of the participants.
Results and novelty of the research: the article deals with the peculiarities of mobilization of the Ob Ugrians in the context of the general ethnic revival in the USSR. It defines the main actors and presents the historical and emotional context of their actions; details the history of the Regulation of native grounds. In retrospect, the sequence of those events seems obvious, but a detailed analysis shows that every step in this story was innovative and controversial, it caused counteraction, and the result of it was not predictable. Only determined efforts allowed achieving the result and, thus, create the prerequisites for the next step. At each turn, the leaders had to defend their position, look for supporters and resources for further advancement. This Khanty-Mansiysk case for the Russian North is unique in terms of the coordination of the actions of the national elite and local authorities, the timing of the implementation of ideas and effectiveness. Through the motivations of the leaders, the institutions and ideologies behind them, a competitive political field and the likelihood of different future scenarios for the indigenous peoples are shown. The selected optics allowed a new characterization of the ethnic movement of the Ob Ugrians during the Perestroika.
Key words: ethnic mobilization, ethnic leadership, native grounds, Ob Ugrians, Khanty, Mansi.
For citation: Abramov I. V. The «Yugra Rescue» Association in ancestral lands: the results of ethnic mobilization of the Ob Ugrians // Vestnik ugrovedenia = Bulletin of Ugric Studies. 2019; 9 (4): 767–777.
ABSTRACT
Introduction: the traditional culture of the Khanty and Mansi was under threat of extinction in the 1980s due to the industrial development of Yugra and Soviet policy. Perestroika, which began in the USSR, stimulated the ethnic mobilization of the Ob Ugrians. The prevailing view was that indigenous peoples should decide their own fate. An initiative group of the Ob Ugrians with the help of the Okrug authorities has established the «Yugra Rescue» – Association of indigenous peoples of the North. Its main merit was the consolidation of aboriginal rights to lands in the regional legislation, that stopped uncontrolled expansion of oil companies.
Objective: to determine the reasons of the success of ethnic mobilization of the Ob Ugrians in 1988–1992.
Research materials: the article is based on studies on ethnic mobilization, introduces unpublished archival materials of the Association and memoirs of the participants.
Results and novelty of the research: the article deals with the peculiarities of mobilization of the Ob Ugrians in the context of the general ethnic revival in the USSR. It defines the main actors and presents the historical and emotional context of their actions; details the history of the Regulation of native grounds. In retrospect, the sequence of those events seems obvious, but a detailed analysis shows that every step in this story was innovative and controversial, it caused counteraction, and the result of it was not predictable. Only determined efforts allowed achieving the result and, thus, create the prerequisites for the next step. At each turn, the leaders had to defend their position, look for supporters and resources for further advancement. This Khanty-Mansiysk case for the Russian North is unique in terms of the coordination of the actions of the national elite and local authorities, the timing of the implementation of ideas and effectiveness. Through the motivations of the leaders, the institutions and ideologies behind them, a competitive political field and the likelihood of different future scenarios for the indigenous peoples are shown. The selected optics allowed a new characterization of the ethnic movement of the Ob Ugrians during the Perestroika.
Key words: ethnic mobilization, ethnic leadership, native grounds, Ob Ugrians, Khanty, Mansi.
For citation: Abramov I. V. The «Yugra Rescue» Association in ancestral lands: the results of ethnic mobilization of the Ob Ugrians // Vestnik ugrovedenia = Bulletin of Ugric Studies. 2019; 9 (4): 767–777.
