From Yaranga to Cottage: The Dynamics of Relations Between Indigenous People of Chukotka and the State Through the Lens of Architectural and Construction History in National Settlements

This article explores the dynamics of the relationship between the Indigenous peoples of Chukotka (Chukchi and Eskimos) and the state through the lens of architectural and construction transformations in their settlements from ancient times to the late 20th century. Using an architectural anthropology approach, the author analyzes dwellings and infrastructure not only as objects of material culture but also as arenas and instruments of socio-political change. Based on historical, ethnographic, archival data, and field observations, the study identifies key phases: the contact-traditional period, the diffusion period, the revolutionary modernization period, and the crisis period - tracing the transition from the autochthonous development of sustainable housing forms (yarangas, dugouts) adapted to the climate and economic practices, to mass housing construction and urbanization, followed by a partial return to autonomous survival strategies amid the collapse of centralized infrastructures in the late 20th century. The author demonstrates how architecture became a tool of policy-making: from a dialogue with traditions in the early Soviet period to strict unification in later years. The study illustrates the inertia of modernization, as the region in the 21st century once again became the focus of a large-scale infrastructure project inheriting the Soviet legacy. The research highlights the contradictions between external expertise and local knowledge, as well as the potential for their cooperation, revealing both successes and failures in the state’s engagement with Indigenous communities in Chukotka. The author declares no conflict of interests.

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