Ups and Downs: How the Number of Indigenous Minorities is Changing (According to the Results of the 2021 Census)

In December 2022, the fifth volume of the All-Russian Census of 2021 was published, which provided new information on the linguistic and national composition of the country's population. The census is of particular importance for groups of indigenous small-numbered peoples, since their numerical indicators are one of the criteria for inclusion in the “Unified List of Indigenous Small-numbered Peoples of Russia”. This paper examines the stories of four peoples who had changes in quantitative indicators between 2010 and 2021: The reasons for the increase in the number of Soyots and Tubalars are being investigated, while the decrease in Nagaibaks and Shapsugs is being investigated. The Besermians, whose number has remained the same, are considered separately, but their strategy of preparing for the census is of interest for this work. The purpose of the paper is to study the conditions and circumstances that led to fluctuations in the number of ethnic groups. As the study shows, the population change is not due to demographic reasons, but is a consequence of socio-cultural processes taking place in the community. It is important for Buryat Soyots to revive their own culture and preserve the memory of their ancestors. For Tubalars, it is important not only to identify oneself as a representative of an ethnic group, but also to support its cultural potential. For the last ten years, the Nagaibaks have been in ethnic calm, but new circumstances can intensify interest in their identity. Different naming of Shapsugs gives them the opportunity to choose their own designations depending on current conditions. The threat of extinction motivated the Besermians to consolidate the community and actualize their own identity. It should be noted that the presence of preferences for small indigenous peoples plays an important role in identifying themselves in the census. It is possible that the significance in this is not the benefits themselves, but the feeling of self-worth of the people through support from the outside. This study demonstrates the variability and drift of ethnicity, as well as its dependence on external and internal circumstances. Today it is impossible to predict what will happen to the number of ethnic groups in question in the future - the more interesting and valuable it is to observe this in the future. The author declares no conflict of interests.

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