Ukrainians in Bashkortostan: Historical-Cultural Experience of a Small Ethnic Group

Authors

Babenko Vasyl

a Ph.D. in History, an associate professor, the head of the Ufa Brunch of the Sholokhov Moscow State Univercity for Humanities, honorary chief of regional social Kobzar organization, Republican National-Cultural Centre of Ukrainians of Bashkortostan (The Russian Federation)

Pylypak Maksym

a Ph.D. in History, a senior research fellow of the Centre of Socio-Cultural Analysis of the Institute of Strategical Studies of the Republic of Bashkortostan, Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Bashkortostan (the Russian Federation)

Chernienko Denis

PhD in History, Senior Researcher, Institute of History of the State of the Committee of Science of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan (Nur-Sultan)

Ukrainians in Bashkortostan: Historical-Cultural Experience of a Small Ethnic Group

Abstract

Historical-cultural experience of Ukrainians’ life in polyethnic surroundings of Bashkortostan is investigated in the article. The history of region settlement, demographic, socio-cultural, identification processes among the representatives of Ukrainian community of republic are analyzed. Ukrainian ethno-cultural heritage is considered in the context of interethnic cooperation, its interplay with traditional cultures of indigenous nations.

Because of the historical factors Bashkortostan belongs to those regions of Russia, where one of the largest enclaves of Ukrainian population (in the 1930s –100 000) has been formed. According to the census figures of 2010 – 39 875 persons. The source base of the article consists of the historical sources, materials of folklore-ethnographic expeditions, conducted by the article authors in the Ukrainian villages of the republic in the 1970–2016 (V. Babenko) and in 2011–2016 (M. Pylypak, D. Cherniyenko). The first wave of the migrant motion to the Southern Ural starts in the 1630s, when the Cossacks and peasants have been attracted to build fortresses on new south-east boundaries of the Russian state. In August, 1739 a decree on the resettling of cherkasy or Ukrainians has been issued. In the late ХVІІІth – early ХІХth centuries new waves of migrations have happened. Three main areas of Ukrainians settling have been formed in Belebeyivskyi district (52.8 % from the total number of Ukrainians in Ufa province), Sterlitamakskyi district (21.29 %), Ufa district (21.38 %). Till the beginning of the 1960s Ukrainian population has been rural traditionally. According to the information of 2002 urban inhabitants make 80.14 %. In 1941–1943 Academy of Sciences of Ukrainian SSR (18 scientific institutes), creative societies, theatres and leading museums have been evacuated to Ufa. Ukrainian scientists, writers, actors, singers, artists have made a considerable contribution to the development of science and culture of Bashkiria. The process of language assimilation of Ukrainians has begun in the first quarter of the ХХ century through the Ukrainian language suppression from all spheres of life.

Keywords

Bashkortostan, Ukrainian community, Ukrainian culture, assimilation.

References

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