Migration of Kumandy to the cities Gorno-Altaisk and Biysk in the XX - early XXI centuries

The article is devoted to the urbanization of the Kumandins in the 20th - early 21st centuries. The purpose of the study is to examine the dynamics and causes of migration of the Kumandin rural population to cities by the example of Biysk and Gorno-Altaisk. Tasks of the study: to identify the main reasons for the migration of Kumandy to the cities; to trace the dynamics of Kumandy’s migration to the cities; to consider modern urbanization processes at the Kumandy. The chronological scope of the research covers the 20th - early 21st centuries. The methodological basis of the study is the theory of urbanization in its sociocultural variant. Field and statistical methods were used during the research. The originality of the study is the absence of works about the urbanization of the indigenous population of Altai. The source base includes the results of ethnosociological research, field materials and census data. Ethnosociological research was conducted in Biysk (Altaiskiy Krai) and Gorno-Altaisk (Altai Republic), where the majority of urban Kumandinians live. In the course of the study the authors came to the following conclusions. The first Kumandy citizens appeared at the beginning of the 20th century. In 1926 there were 7 Kumandinians living in Biysk. Until the end of the 1950s the number of urban Kumandins increased insignificantly (for example, in Biisk there were about 200 people). From the middle 1960s to the 1970s the Kumandy began to move massively to the city. For example, in Biysk the number of urban Kumandins increased four times in these years. This was favored by the relative multiplicity of generations born in the post-war period, and the construction of industrial enterprises in cities. The campaign to eliminate unpromising villages also contributed to the migration of the Kumandins. Among the reasons for the move the Kumandy respondents mentioned: seeking a better job, professional growth, improving living conditions, obtaining special education. Most of the Kumandin in Gorno-Altaisk are from the Turochak district of the Altai Republic and the Krasnogorsk district of the Altaiskiy Krai. Krasnogorsk Kumandy significantly prevail in Biysk. For the Kumandinians of the Solton district of the Altaiskiy Krai the cities of the neighboring Kemerovo Region were more attractive. The migration of Kumandy to cities was more intensive in comparison with other indigenous peoples of Altai, but at the same time its indicators were significantly lower than the all-Russian and regional urbanization rates. In recent years there has been a decline in the number of urban Kumandins due to assimilation. This is facilitated by dispersed resettlement of the Kumandins in the city, their further migration (including training, work) from Biysk and Gorno-Altaisk to other cities of the Russian Federation. An alternative to the emerging trend is the activity of public associations that actualize ethnic identity.

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